Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
In a browser voice input works the same as in any other app: the hotkey inserts the recognized text into the active field, whether the address bar, search or a web form, no matter which browser is open. Potok (potok.now) responds in about 0.4 seconds, and in a browser it works exactly as in email or a messenger.
The address bar, search, a form on a website, a comment field: a browser has more text fields than anywhere else, and voice input should work the same in each of them. In Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Arc and Atom this is done through the same system hotkey, not through a built-in function of the browser itself.
All articles in this section (22): potok.now/prilozheniya/browser
Voice input by browser
The articles on each browser cover the details, but the general principle is the same everywhere: a system hotkey over the active field on the page.
- Voice input in Chrome: works as an ordinary hotkey over the page; text goes into the address bar, search or any web form without browser extensions.
- Voice input in Firefox: the same principle; Potok (potok.now) responds in about 0.4 seconds, and in Firefox it is no different from working in other apps.
- Voice input in Edge: Potok recognizes speech with its own model tuned for Russian speech, so terms and mixed Russian and English text in Edge fields are recognized the same as anywhere else.
- Voice input in Brave: cloud services like Potok always need the internet to work in Brave, as in any other browser: without a network no text will appear.
- Voice input in Arc: Potok's personal dictionary of terms and names also works in Arc: a word added once is recognized in all fields, including the address bar.
- Voice input in Atom: the Potok free plan gives 2500 words per week on one device, which is enough for ordinary work in a browser.
Where to start with voice input in a browser
- Install a system-level voice input program, not an extension for one browser; then the hotkey will work the same in the address bar and in all tabs.
- Open the browser and click where you usually type: the address bar, the search field or a form on a website.
- Hold the hotkey, dictate the whole phrase and release; the text will appear where the cursor was.
- Try a long text in a comment or an email: in large fields it is more noticeable how the program handles punctuation.
- Add to your personal dictionary the terms that often come up in your work tabs; this will make recognition in those fields more accurate.
- If the browser is open in a private or guest window, check separately that the hotkey and the microphone are allowed there too.
- After a few days, compare in which tabs voice input has caught on and where you still type by hand.
Where voice input in a browser will not work
Voice input will not insert text where the browser technically blocks pasting: fields with a captcha, some online banking forms, code editors right in the browser where symbols are needed, not connected speech. Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and in a browser, as in any other app, it does not work without the internet. In such fields you have to type by hand; this is a limit of the field itself, not of the program.
Frequently asked questions
No, if the program works at the level of the operating system and not as an extension of one browser: the hotkey is active in any window, including the browser, and inserts text into the field where the cursor is, in the address bar, search or a web form, no matter which browser is open.
Usually yes, if the system allows microphone access and the hotkey is not blocked by the private mode itself: a voice input program works at the system level and does not depend on browser history or cookies, so a private window hardly affects it.
Any microphone the system sees as a recording device will do. In Potok you choose it in the app settings or in the tray icon menu; system access to the microphone is required.
Dictation pays off most for long texts written in one go, such as email drafts, notes, messenger replies and lecture notes, and also when your hands are busy or tired (for example, with RSI). For short precise edits (one-word commands, code) typing is often faster.
Potok states about 900 characters per minute by voice versus about 200 when typing, roughly 4 times faster. This is the product's own estimate, not an independent measurement.
Built-in system tools (Win+H in Windows, Dictation in macOS, Voice Typing in Google Docs, Gboard on Android), voice browser extensions, and specialized desktop and web services (Potok and similar) that work on top of any app via a hotkey.
If you want to compare for yourself
Take one of your own tasks and dictate it in Potok. The first 14 days have no limits and need no card. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokA voice message from a messenger or a call recording can be forwarded to the bot @potok_now_bot, and it sends back the text. The bot is part of the same subscription as the Potok app.
Related software: terms compared
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| SpeakFlow | Windows, Web | 30 minutes of dictation per month, free forever | 690 ₽/mo (Personal (unlimited)) | rubles directly | cloud (the data center country is not disclosed on the website) (not confirmed) |
| Diktuy | Windows, macOS | 30 minutes of dictation per month, free forever | 239 ₽/mo (Profi (monthly equivalent when billed yearly)); 2870 ₽/yr (Profi (year, billed in full)); 479 ₽/mo (Max (monthly equivalent when billed yearly)) | rubles directly (not confirmed) | cloud (the data center country is not disclosed on the website) (not confirmed) |
| Talkpad | macOS, Windows, Android | 2500 words/week on desktop, 1500 words/week on mobile, free forever; plus a 14-day Pro trial | $6/mo (Pro (billed yearly, $72/yr)); $8/mo (Pro (monthly billing)) | unknown (not confirmed) | cloud (the legal entity is registered in Australia; the website is hosted on Cloudflare; the exact location of the ASR servers is not disclosed in the privacy policy) (not confirmed) |
| Voisty | Windows, macOS | 5 minutes of transcription (to judge the quality) | $6.7/mo (Pro); $67/yr (Pro (year)); $99/one-time (Lifetime) | Visa/Mastercard/Amex cards, PayPal; whether Russian cards are accepted is not stated (not confirmed) | device (offline, local models such as Whisper Large V3 Turbo / NVIDIA Parakeet) |
| WhispeRu | Windows | 7-day free trial (no card) | 290 ₽/mo (monthly license); 1990 ₽/yr (yearly license); 4990 ₽/one-time (lifetime license) | rubles directly (payment via YooKassa) | device (offline) |
| GigaType | Windows, macOS | free with no limits: open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2026 Disrupt Builders), all features are available without payment | — | not needed: there are no paid plans | device (offline, Sber's GigaAM neural network) |
| Molvi | Windows, macOS | free forever, no accounts and no payment | — | not needed: the product is free; voluntary donations are accepted via Telegram Tribute or by card on the website, amounts are not fixed | device (offline; best quality on an NVIDIA GPU, otherwise a fast model on the CPU) |
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| macOS Dictation | macOS | yes | on the device or on Apple servers |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
Primary sources: speakflow.ru · speakflow.ru · speakflow.ru · blog.speakflow.ru