Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Auto-dictation on a MacBook is turned on in System Settings, in the Keyboard section: open Dictation there, turn it on and confirm with the button that says “Vklyuchit” (Turn on in Russian). After that the feature recognizes speech in any text field and supports Russian right away. For voice input in all programs on the computer at once there is a separate program, Potok (potok.now): 2500 words per week are free in it, and you dictate by holding the Ctrl+Space hotkey.
Typing a long text on a MacBook by hand takes a long time. Apple has a ready-made feature for this, auto-dictation. You turn it on once in the settings, and after that you simply speak into any text field.
Where auto-dictation on a MacBook is needed most often
Auto-dictation comes in handy in notes, emails, messages and document drafts, anywhere it is easier to say a phrase than to type it by hand. It is also useful for those who find it uncomfortable to keep their hands on the keyboard for long, when the wrists are tired or in breaks between tasks. Dictation is built right into macOS, so once turned on it works at once in any app with a text field, such as mail, notes or the browser, with nothing extra to install. Other ways to dictate text on a computer, besides the built-in ones, are covered in the article general overview of voice input.
How to turn on auto-dictation, step by step
Turning on auto-dictation on a MacBook takes a few clicks in the system settings. Nothing needs to be installed, since the feature is already built into macOS.
- Open the Apple menu.
- Choose System Settings and go to the Keyboard section.
- Find the Dictation section there and turn it on.
- Confirm turning it on with the button that says “Vklyuchit” (Turn on in Russian). This sequence of screens and its final step are described in Apple's official help (mh40584).
Dictation itself on a Mac is started with the microphone key (if there is one in the function key row), the dictation shortcut, or through Edit → Start Dictation.
After that dictation is available in any text field on the MacBook, and Russian is already among the supported languages. If dictation still does not start after these steps, the causes are covered in the article what to do if it does not start.
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
What auto-dictation and Potok will not do
If you need voice input not only on a Mac but also on Windows or Linux, there is Potok (potok.now), but it has its limits too. Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. It has no apps for Android and iPhone, and it does not insert text into protected fields and full-screen games. For those who dictate the whole working day, the free limit of 2500 words per week will not be enough and you need Pro, while for companies that forbid the cloud only the business option fits.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. macOS has built-in dictation with Russian.
There is nothing to turn on: according to Apple's help, you can dictate text of any length with no time limit. Dictation stops on its own only 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, audio goes to Apple servers, and then you need the internet. You can see exactly in System Settings → Keyboard: under Dictation it says whether the internet is needed and whether speech is processed on the device.
Yes. macOS system Dictation exists on Intel Macs too; on Intel Macs the audio for recognition goes to Apple servers, so you need the internet. Potok is an app for Windows, macOS and Linux, and it works on Intel Macs.
Turn on Dictation: Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation. Then put the cursor in a text field, start dictation with the microphone key (if there is one in the function key row), the dictation shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation, and begin speaking.
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, audio goes to Apple servers, and then you need the internet. You can see exactly in System Settings → Keyboard: under Dictation it says whether the internet is needed and whether speech is processed on the device.
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 PotokYou dictate in the app, and recordings and voice messages are transcribed by @potok_now_bot in Telegram. 60 minutes per month are free; the Potok subscription removes the limit in the bot and in the 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 · support.apple.com