Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Dictation does not work in a specific iPhone app, while it works in the others, because that app has not been given access to the microphone. The fix takes 2 steps: Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, and turn on the switch for that app. If the app is not in the list at all, it does not request microphone access programmatically, and then it is worth writing to the developer.
If dictation on iPhone works in some apps and not in one particular app, the cause is almost always not Dictation itself but the microphone permission for exactly that app.
The quickest fix
Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and find the app you need in the list. If the switch next to it is off, turn it on, and dictation in that app usually starts working right away. If the app is not in the list at all, it does not request microphone access in principle, and you cannot turn it on through system settings: here it is worth contacting the app's developer rather than looking for a menu item deeper.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dictation works in some apps and does not work in others | This particular app has not been given microphone access. | Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone → turn on access for the app; if the app is not in the list, contact the app developer. |
Why this happens at all
On iPhone, microphone access is a permission that iOS gives to each app separately, not to the whole system at once. One app may honestly request microphone access at the first launch, the user allows it, and after that dictation works there without problems. Another app may either not request this permission at all, or the user may have accidentally declined the request on the first attempt, and then dictation will not work in that app, although everything is fine in the other apps. So dictation on iPhone is never on or off “in general”: it is allowed or not allowed for each specific app separately, and one has nothing to do with the other. A more general look at the case when voice input does not work in all apps at once is in the general section on errors.
- 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
How not to step on this again
- If you install a new app with dictation or voice input, allow microphone access right at the first request instead of putting it off.
- If you accidentally declined the request, do not reinstall the app: the permission still has to be turned on by hand in Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
- Look into the Microphone list in settings from time to time if you use dictation in several apps: it is easier to see where access is off.
Where Potok will not help
This is a breakdown about the iPhone itself, and it will not solve the problem for those who need voice input not on a phone: there is no Potok on a phone, tablet or watch, and it works only on a computer, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Potok is a cloud service, recognizes speech on servers in Russia and does not work without the internet either. If you dictate a lot specifically at a computer, there Potok can replace the built-in dictation. Other voice input errors on Apple devices are collected in the Apple section.
Frequently asked questions
It means that the app does not request microphone access programmatically, and you cannot turn it on through system settings. In this case whether dictation is possible in it depends on the developer: it is worth writing to their support or checking whether there is an app update.
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.
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.
By a model estimate, the average dictation speed with Potok is about 900 characters per minute versus about 200 characters per minute with ordinary typing, so speech is noticeably faster than the keyboard.
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.
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 |
Primary sources: support.apple.com · support.microsoft.com