Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Voice input in notes works the same way in any app: the program recognizes speech and inserts the finished text into the field where the cursor is, whether it is Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, Google Keep or Joplin, because the text is inserted into the active window of the operating system. In Potok (potok.now) the free plan gives 2500 words per week on one device; alternatives such as SpeakFlow or Diktuy work in a similar way.
Voice input in notes almost always works the same way as in any other text field: the program listens for the hotkey, recognizes speech and inserts the text where the cursor is. For such a program, Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, Google Keep and Joplin are ordinary text fields of the operating system, so it usually needs no separate integration with each app.
- Voice input in Craft: the Quick Entry hotkey and Potok
- Voice input in Evernote: how to dictate text into a note
- Voice input in Google Keep: a time estimate and Potok
- Punctuation by voice in note-taking apps
All articles in this section (28): potok.now/prilozheniya/notes
Which notes apps already have voice input covered
Six note-taking apps are covered separately on the site: each has its own way of storing text and its own audience, but the principle of inserting text by voice is the same.
- Apple Notes: text from Potok is inserted into any field where you can place the cursor, and this includes the standard Notes app on a Mac.
- Bear: among the alternatives there is an offline option, Voisty, which recognizes speech right on the device without sending sound to a server.
- Craft: besides Windows and macOS, Talkpad has a separate version for Android.
- Evernote: SpeakFlow works on Windows and right in the browser, without installing a program on the computer.
- Google Keep: WhispeRu also recognizes offline, on the device, without sending the recording to a server.
- Joplin: Molvi is just as simple: it is free forever and needs neither an account nor payment.
Where to start with voice input in notes
- Decide which notes app you already use: Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, Google Keep or Joplin. As a rule this does not matter to a voice input program, which simply inserts text into the active field.
- Assign one hotkey for dictation and train your hand not to reach for the keyboard right away: this is the main habit that saves time.
- Check free access before paying: in Potok it is 14 days of full access without a card, in Molvi it is free forever, in WhispeRu it is a 7-day trial period.
- Dictate a real note, not a test phrase: a shopping list with numbers or a short plan for the day will show faster how the program handles pauses and lists.
- If you often write notes without a connection, compare options with recognition right on the device, for example GigaType: they work without the internet all the same.
Where Potok does not fit
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. If you write notes mostly on the road without a stable connection, take this into account in advance.
Potok has no mobile apps for Android and iPhone, only clients for Windows, macOS and Linux, so you cannot dictate into Google Keep or Bear straight from a phone through Potok. There are also no voice commands for editing text: Potok inserts what it heard and does not rewrite what was written earlier.
Frequently asked questions
In any text field, including notes: Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, Google Keep, Joplin and others. A voice input program is not tied to a specific app: it recognizes speech and inserts the text where the cursor is at that moment.
Usually not: there is one setup, a hotkey and the choice of recognition language in the program itself, and after that it works in all apps at once, including notes. No separate integration with a specific app is needed for this.
There is nothing to turn on: according to Apple's help, you can dictate text of any length without a time limit. Dictation stops by itself only if no speech is heard for 30 seconds.
No: according to Apple's help, you can dictate text of any length without a time limit. Dictation stops when you press Esc, the microphone key or the Dictation shortcut, and it stops by itself if no speech is heard for 30 seconds.
The built-in macOS Dictation supports Russian. Potok is a separate app with its own model trained for Russian speech, including terms and Russian mixed with English; the text is inserted into the active field of any app.
It depends on the Mac. On a Mac with Apple Silicon, ordinary text dictation (messages, notes, but not the search field) is processed on the device; on Intel Macs and in some scenarios the sound goes to Apple servers, and then the internet is needed. You can see it exactly in System Settings → Keyboard: under Dictation it says whether the internet is needed and whether speech is processed on the device.
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