Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Google voice input through Gboard does not start or does not recognize speech for one of 6 official reasons: no microphone permission, the Voice typing switch is off, the cache is clogged, the app is outdated, network problems, or the Gboard language does not match the device language. You check them in turn: permissions, the switch, the cache, the app update, the network and the language match.
Voice input in the Google keyboard (Gboard) suddenly stops starting, or the microphone icon appears but the text is not recognized at all. Officially there are several known causes for this, and almost all of them can be checked and fixed right on the phone, without reinstalling the system.
What it looks like when Google voice input does not work
The user taps the microphone icon on the Gboard keyboard expecting to dictate text, and instead either nothing happens, or the recording runs but the recognized text does not appear. Sometimes voice input does not respond to the tap at all, sometimes it works every other time. At the same time the phone itself and the other keyboard functions work normally: typing by hand, switching languages, emoji, none of it is affected, only voice input breaks. According to Google's official troubleshooting guide for Gboard, several different causes can be behind this: from a plainly missing microphone permission to an outdated version of the Gboard app itself.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Google voice input (through Gboard or the system keyboard) does not start or does not recognize speech | The official Gboard troubleshooting guide lists: no microphone permission, the Voice typing switch turned off, a clogged cache, an outdated app, network problems, a mismatch between the Gboard language and the device language (for extended voice input). | Check the microphone permissions and the Voice typing switch, clear the cache, update Gboard, check the network and that the languages match. |
What may actually be broken
The official Gboard troubleshooting guide names six possible causes: the app has no microphone permission, the Voice typing switch is off in the Gboard settings themselves, the keyboard cache is clogged, the app version is outdated, there are network connection problems, and the Gboard language does not match the device language, which concerns extended voice input separately. None of this requires reinstalling Android or resetting the phone to factory settings: each cause is checked and fixed separately, right in the settings.
How to check and fix Google voice input in order
- Check the microphone permission for Gboard in the Android settings. Without it speech recognition is technically impossible.
- Open the Gboard settings themselves and make sure the Voice typing switch is on.
- Clear the Gboard app cache through the Android app settings.
- Check whether the latest version of Gboard is installed and update the app if needed.
- Check the internet connection: Google voice input needs a network.
- If you use extended voice input, make sure the Gboard language matches the device language.
- 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 this path does not fit
If none of the six items helped and you need voice input on the phone badly, what is left is a question for the Google app itself or for the device maker, not something the user's settings solve. Potok is not available on a phone, tablet or watch: it works only on a computer, Windows, macOS and Linux. Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. If you dictate a lot at a computer, Potok can replace the built-in dictation there. Other voice input errors are collected in the section “dictation is not available in this language (Russian): what to do” and in the general section “voice input does not work”.
Frequently asked questions
The official list has five more items: whether the Voice typing switch is on in the Gboard settings, whether the app cache is clogged, whether the latest version of Gboard is installed, whether the internet connection works, and whether the Gboard language matches the device language, which is a separate condition for extended voice input.
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.
Dictation is especially useful for long texts written off the cuff: email drafts, notes, replies in messengers, lecture notes, and also when 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.
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.
Voice input is the conversion of speech to text on the fly: the user speaks, and 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.
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.google.com · support.microsoft.com