Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Voice typing (Win+H) in Windows disappears for one of 3 official reasons: the right microphone is not selected, the app has no access to the microphone, or the current input language is not supported. The fix depends on the cause: check the microphone, access and input language in the matching Windows settings. If it still falls short on speed or Russian quality, there are other options, including Potok (potok.now).
Pressing Win+H used to open the voice typing panel right away, and now nothing happens? Officially this situation has three typical explanations, and all three can be checked and fixed without reinstalling Windows.
Why voice input disappears: three official reasons
- The microphone is not selected or not set as the default input device. Windows uses for voice typing exactly the device given in the sound settings, and if it is the wrong microphone, recognition does not start. Check and fix it in Settings → System → Sound → Input.
- The app has no access to the microphone in the privacy settings. Without this permission voice typing gets no sound at all, even if the microphone is selected correctly. Turn it on in Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. A situation similar in symptom but different in cause happens when a third-party program intercepts microphone access; it is covered in the article “antivirus blocks the microphone”.
- The current input language is not supported by Windows voice typing. For such languages the voice typing panel does not activate. Check and change it in the input language settings.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Voice typing (Win+H) used to work, stopped appearing/responding | The official list of typical causes: the microphone is not selected/not set as the input device, the app has no access to the microphone, the current language is not supported. | 1) Settings → System → Sound → Input: choose the right microphone; 2) Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone: turn on access; 3) check/change the input language to a supported one. |
If none of the three items fit
Microsoft's official list names three causes: microphone choice, app access and a supported language. The sources document no separate rare cases for this error. If all three items are already checked and voice typing still has not appeared, further diagnosis goes beyond what the official documentation describes, and it is worth contacting Microsoft support or community forums.
When it is easier to try another program than to fix Win+H
If none of the three official items helped and you need voice input right now, you can try a separate app for dictation on the computer, for example Potok (potok.now). Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. The confusion about your organization managing voice services is covered separately: voice input is unavailable: your organization manages voice services.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if the new layout matches a language that Windows voice typing does not support: in that case the voice typing panel does not activate, even though the microphone and access to it are set up correctly. The fix is to switch to a supported input language in the Windows settings.
Yes, they use different shortcuts: Win+H opens Windows voice typing, while Potok works on Ctrl+Space by default. For one phrase it is more convenient to use just one of them.
No: voice typing with extended language support (including Russian) is a built-in feature of Windows 11 specifically, and it cannot be moved or installed separately on Windows 10. Windows 10 has an older version of dictation with fewer languages (no Russian).
Microsoft names the typical causes: the microphone is not selected as the input device, apps have no access to the microphone, or the current language is not supported by voice typing. Check: Settings → System → Sound → Input; Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone; the input language (Win+Space). Voice typing also does not work if “Online speech recognition” is off in Settings → Privacy & security → Speech.
Voice Access is a system feature for controlling the computer and entering text by voice, but it officially does not support Russian (the supported languages are English, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, Japanese and Italian). Potok is built specifically for Russian speech and works as a separate app on top of any program.
Officially no: the built-in Win+H dictation in Windows 10 supports Simplified Chinese, English (several regions), French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish. Russian is not on that list. For voice input in Russian you need Windows 11.
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 PotokExisting recordings are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: send a file or a YouTube, VK Video or RuTube link and the text arrives in the chat. The Potok subscription removes the limit in the bot too.
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.microsoft.com · support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com