Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Google Docs has built-in voice typing: the Tools → Voice typing menu or Ctrl+Shift+S, but it works only in the Chrome browser, because the program itself is a web version with no separate app for Windows or macOS. If you need dictation in any other field and app, not only in an open Chrome tab, there are separate programs such as Potok (potok.now), which responds in about 0.4 seconds.
Google Docs is a web editor: it has no separate app for Windows or macOS, and you can only work in the browser. It has its own voice typing feature, but with a browser restriction, and this changes when it is worth using the built-in tool and when a third-party program.
Voice typing in Google Docs: what the built-in tool can do
Google Docs has built-in voice typing: it is turned on via the Tools → Voice typing menu or with Ctrl+Shift+S (Cmd+Shift+S on a Mac). This feature works only in the Chrome browser; in other browsers the menu item is unavailable or does not work. Since the program itself exists only as a web version, dictation is limited to the browser tab: the built-in voice typing does not let you insert text directly into another app or into a file on the computer, only into the text field of the document open in Chrome. The service's official website is docs.google.com.
What changes with Potok
Unlike the browser-based Google Docs, Potok works as a separate app for Windows, macOS and Linux and inserts text into the active field of any app, not only in one browser. Potok's default hotkey is Ctrl+Space: it differs from Ctrl+Shift+S, which turns on Google Docs' own voice typing, so the combinations do not overlap. Potok responds in about 0.4 seconds, and punctuation is placed automatically during recognition.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Free
- Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed
- Pro
- Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly
- Payment
- Russian bank cards, rubles
- Where speech is recognized
- cloud, servers in Russia; internet required
Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. Download: potok.now/download
When the built-in voice typing is enough
If you need dictation only inside Google Docs and only in Chrome, the built-in tool is enough: it is free and needs no installation. Potok is worth adding when you need to dictate text not only in Google Docs but also in other fields and apps. Keep in mind that Potok is a cloud service: speech recognition runs on servers in Russia, and without an internet connection it does not work. It has no voice commands for editing text, and there are no mobile apps: dictation is available only from a computer. If you also dictate emails regularly, there is a separate article on voice input in Outlook; an overview of dictation in other programs is in the article on voice input for apps.
Frequently asked questions
No, this feature works only in the Chrome browser: in other browsers the menu item is unavailable or does not work.
No: Google Docs voice typing is turned on with Ctrl+Shift+S, and Potok's default hotkey is Ctrl+Space, so these combinations do not overlap.
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.
Yes: Windows has built-in voice typing via Win+H (Russian only in Windows 11, Windows 10 has no Russian; it does not work without the internet), and the Mac has system dictation in the keyboard settings. Both are free.
Voice input turns speech into text on the fly: the user speaks, the program transcribes the sound with speech recognition technology (ASR) and inserts the resulting text into the active field, such as email, a messenger or a document. In Potok this works through a hotkey: hold it, speak, release, and the text is inserted.
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.
How to start
Potok is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. For two weeks everything is open for free, after that 2500 words per week without paying. 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.
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 |
| Task | Characters | Typing (200 chars/min) | Voice (900 chars/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chat reply | 300 | 2 min | 0.5 min |
| 1500 | 8 min | 1.7 min | |
| post or meeting minutes | 4000 | 20 min | 4.4 min |
| article | 10000 | 50 min | 11.1 min |
Primary sources: docs.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com