Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
No: Win+H voice input is not a separate program but part of Windows, and it is not installed from one version to another. Windows 10 has Win+H, but its dictation has no Russian; Russian appeared in Windows 11. For dictation in Russian on Windows 10 a separate program will do, for example Potok (potok.now).
Win+H exists in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, but works differently. Can you move voice input from one version to the other and get in Windows 10 what Windows 11 has?
Why you cannot install a voice input program from Windows 11 on Windows 10
The confusion is in one thing: Win+H is not a separate program but a built-in function of the operating system, and it cannot be installed, downloaded or set up separately from one version of Windows to another. In Windows 10 the Win+H shortcut also opens the dictation panel, but it recognizes only English speech (US); Russian appeared in Win+H only in Windows 11.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| — | not disclosed | not disclosed | — | not disclosed | not disclosed |
How to get Russian voice input on Windows 10
Since Win+H cannot be carried over from Windows 11, dictation in Russian on Windows 10 needs a separate program.
- Install Potok, a desktop app for voice input that works on Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS and Linux.
- Hold the hotkey, which is Ctrl+Space by default; in the settings you can change the combination to any key combination or a side mouse button.
- Dictate a phrase and release the key: the text appears where the cursor is, with punctuation and capital letters placed automatically.
- If you need specifically the built-in Windows feature without installing programs, press Win+H in a text field: the dictation panel will open in Windows 10 too, but it will recognize only English speech (US).
When Potok is not needed here
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. It has no voice commands for editing text and no apps for Android and iPhone, so the program does not fit for dictating right on a phone. For one-off dictation in English on Windows 10 the built-in Win+H is enough, and installing a separate program is not required. Details on turning on voice input specifically in Windows 10 are in the article on turning on voice input in Windows 10, and other ways to dictate text are in the section with dictation instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Windows 10 has the Win+H shortcut, but Russian is not among the dictation languages; support for Russian appeared only in Windows 11, according to Microsoft's official help.
Voice Access is a feature of Windows 11 version 22H2 and newer that lets you control the computer and enter text by voice; in Windows 11 22H2 and newer it replaced the classic Windows Speech Recognition. Voice Access has no Russian.
Press Win+H in any text field to open the built-in dictation panel; for controlling the computer by voice there is a separate feature, Windows Speech Recognition (Win+Ctrl+S).
Windows voice input does not turn on by itself: the panel opens only with Win+H or the microphone button on the touch keyboard. It works through the cloud “Online speech recognition”: if you turn it off in Settings → Privacy & security → Speech, Windows will use only on-device recognition, and voice input will not work. In an organization an administrator can turn off speech services with a group policy.
Windows voice input listens to the microphone of the machine where it runs. In an RDP session your computer's microphone is available to the remote machine only if audio recording redirection is on (in the RDP client: Local Resources → Remote audio → record from this computer). Besides, Win+H on the remote machine needs the internet: recognition runs in the Microsoft cloud.
Since the built-in Win+H dictation on Windows 10 officially does not support Russian, a reasonable alternative is a separate app for voice input in Russian, for example Potok: it inserts text into the active field of any app, including on Windows 10.
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 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