Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Voice input on a laptop is turned on in one of three ways: with Win+H in Windows, with the built-in dictation in macOS, or with a separate app, Potok (potok.now), where voice is started by holding Ctrl+Space by default. Win+H works only through the internet, and Russian in it exists only in Windows 11.
Dictation instead of typing is a way of working in which a person creates text by voice rather than typing it on a keyboard. On a laptop this scenario is started with a built-in feature of the operating system or with a separate program: both are turned on with one key combination, and then you just speak.
Where voice input is needed most often
Voice input is turned on on a laptop when you need to quickly speak a long text: a report, a letter, notes after a meeting. Typing by hand takes longer, especially if the text is large, and not everyone can touch-type fast. It is also useful for those who find it inconvenient to keep their hands on the keyboard for long: with tired wrists or on the road, when the laptop is on your knees rather than on a desk. Students dictate lecture notes and drafts, authors dictate article texts, managers dictate letters and meeting minutes. If you need instructions for a desktop computer instead of a laptop, the steps for the built-in tools are the same, and they are collected in the article how to dictate text on a computer.
How to turn on voice input, step by step
Voice input on a laptop can be turned on in three ways, which do not overlap, and you choose the suitable one for the task.
- In Windows press Win+H: voice input turns on, which recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud; it does not work without the internet, and Russian is available only in Windows 11.
- In macOS there is a ready built-in dictation with Russian.
- If you need voice input in any app at once on several systems, you install a separate program like Potok: it works in Windows, macOS and Linux. You hold the hotkey Ctrl+Space by default (it can be changed in the settings), speak and release, and the text appears where the cursor is.
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
Apps where this method does not work
Potok is a cloud service: the voice recording goes to servers in Russia for recognition, and without an internet connection it does not work, so on the road without a network you will not be able to dictate text with it. It will not fit where there is physically nowhere to insert text either: Potok does not insert text into protected fields and into full-screen games. For those who dictate all working day, the free limit of 2500 words per week will not be enough, and you need Pro. And for companies that are forbidden to send data to the cloud, only the business option with servers in their own perimeter fits. How punctuation is placed in dictation without manual commands is covered in the article how to place punctuation by voice.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Win+H in Windows recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud and does not work without a network, and Potok recognizes voice on servers in Russia and also requires a connection: there is no offline mode in either.
No. Russian appeared in Win+H only in Windows 11, and Windows 10 does not have it; only other interface languages are available there.
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.
Dictation pays off most for long texts written in one go, such as email drafts, notes, messenger replies and lecture notes, and also when your hands are busy or tired (for example, with RSI). For short precise edits (one-word commands, code) typing is often faster.
Voice input turns speech into text on the fly: the user speaks, 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.
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.
Check it in one evening
Install Potok, dictate what you usually type and compare. 14 days of full access, no card needed. 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: wisprflow.ai · support.microsoft.com