Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Dictation runs noticeably slower on old Intel Macs than on Apple Silicon (M1 and newer) because enhanced on-device dictation uses neural network computation, for which Apple Silicon chips are optimized much better than Intel processors. If the delay gets in the way, on an Intel Mac you can switch to ordinary cloud dictation. Potok (potok.now) works on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Owners of old Intel MacBooks notice that as soon as you turn on enhanced dictation, the text appears on the screen with a noticeable delay: not right after the spoken phrase but after a perceptible pause. On a Mac with an M1 chip or newer, the same feature works much more responsively.
What the user sees on an old Mac
On a Mac with an Intel processor, enhanced dictation works: recognition starts and words appear on the screen, but noticeably slower than on a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip (M1, M2, M3 or M4). The delay between the spoken phrase and the text appearing on the screen is noticeably longer than on Apple Silicon hardware.
Why dictation on an Intel Mac is slower than on Apple Silicon
Enhanced dictation is "on-device" dictation: it recognizes speech right on the computer, without contacting servers, and it uses neural network computation for this. Apple Silicon chips, M1 and newer, are optimized for such computation much better than Intel processors, so on an Intel Mac the same feature works slower.
How to get a comfortable speed back
The only practical option on an old Intel Mac is to switch to ordinary (cloud) dictation instead of enhanced.
- In the dictation settings on the Mac, turn off enhanced dictation (Enhanced Dictation, "on-device" dictation), using the same switch that turned it on.
- After turning it off, recognition runs not on the Mac itself but through a server. This is ordinary, cloud dictation, and the delay of the enhanced mode does not affect it.
- If switching to ordinary dictation does not suit you for other reasons, see the general review of why dictation does not work on a MacBook.
- 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
Who switching to ordinary dictation will not suit
Turning off enhanced dictation will not help if you need offline dictation specifically, without an internet connection: ordinary (cloud) dictation recognizes speech over the network and does not work without it. Potok (potok.now) works on Windows, macOS and Linux, and there is no need to switch between Intel and Apple Silicon. Potok is a cloud service, with recognition on servers in Russia; it does not work without the internet. Other dictation errors on Apple devices are collected in the Apple section.
Frequently asked questions
Unlikely: the difference in speed is tied to the processor architecture, for which Apple Silicon chips are optimized better than Intel, and not to the macOS version. A system update by itself does not change the capabilities of the processor.
Turn on Dictation: the Apple menu, then System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation. Then put the cursor in a text field and start dictation with the microphone key (if it is in the row of function keys), the dictation keyboard shortcut, or Edit, Start Dictation, and begin speaking.
No: according to Apple's help, you can dictate text of any length with no time limit. Dictation stops when you press Esc, the microphone key or the Dictation shortcut, or by itself if no speech is heard for 30 seconds.
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 audio goes to Apple servers, and then the internet is needed. You can see exactly in System Settings, then Keyboard: under the Dictation item it says whether the internet is needed and whether speech is processed on the device.
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 and is not sent to Siri servers. This can be seen in System Settings, Keyboard, under the Dictation item. Whether Apple stores recordings of your dictations is decided by the Improve Siri and Dictation switch in Privacy and Security, Analytics and Improvements.
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.
Download Potok
Works with a single key in any program. 14 days of full access, then Free with 2500 words per week or Pro at 690 ₽/mo (499 ₽/mo paid yearly). Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokOne subscription, two tools: dictation in any program on your computer and @potok_now_bot in Telegram, which transcribes voice messages, audio and video.
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: www.apple.com · support.apple.com · support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com