Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
For dictating text, use the Potok app (potok.now); for transcribing finished recordings, the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot. The app inserts dictated text into the field of any program on Windows, macOS and Linux, and the bot turns voice messages, video notes, audio and video into text. One subscription covers both; the bot gives 60 minutes per month for free.
The question “bot or app” comes up because Potok has two entry points with different jobs: in one case you speak and get text in a field, in the other you send a finished recording and get a transcript.
Two options: an app for dictation and a bot for recordings
- The Potok app is for when you need to dictate text now. Hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release, and the text is inserted into the active field of any program. There are versions for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- The bot @potok_now_bot is for when you already have a recording. It transcribes voice messages, video notes, audio and video and accepts links to YouTube, VK Video and RuTube. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file.
- Under the transcript the bot has buttons: Summary, Tasks and deadlines, Ask. Retelling and answering questions about the recording is done by the bot, not the app.
- There is one subscription: the dictation app and the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot for recordings and voice messages work under the same subscription.
What the app is and how it works is covered in more detail in the answer about the Potok app. If you need the built-in Windows 11 dictation, there is a separate article on how Win+H differs from Voice Access.
How to choose between the app and the bot
Look at what you have as input. If you need to dictate an email, a note or a message, use the app. If you have a recording of a call, a lecture or a voice message, send it to the bot. If you have both, there is no separate choice to make: one subscription covers the app and the bot.
For large files the bot has a mini app: it opens with a button next to the input field in Telegram, where there is also an Upload button. The account, recordings and limit there are the same as in the bot.
When Potok is not the best option
The app cannot transcribe finished recordings; the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot is for that. The bot recognizes only Russian speech and has no translation into another language. There are no apps for Android and iPhone. There are no voice commands: Potok places punctuation and capital letters itself. Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. Those who dictate all day may run into the app's free limit.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The app gives 2500 words per week for free on one device, the bot 60 minutes of recordings per month. The subscription removes the limit both in the bot and in the dictation app; the price is shown in the plans table on the page.
Yes. In a private chat with the bot you can forward a voice message from any chat, send a file, including as a document, or a YouTube, VK Video or RuTube link. In groups the bot accepts only voice messages, video notes and audio of up to 10 minutes.
Yes, several platforms have built-in meeting transcription: Zoom for cloud recordings, Microsoft Teams during the meeting, Google Meet on Google Workspace plans. The alternative is to record the sound and process it with a separate transcription service after the call. The Potok app does not do this kind of transcription, it is for live dictation; a call recording can be sent as a file to Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
With Potok you can dictate the minutes live, speaking them during or right after the meeting. Transcribing an already recorded audio file of a meeting (a finished Zoom or Telemost recording) is a separate transcription task: such a file can be sent to Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
Voice input is real-time dictation into the active text field. Transcription turns an already finished audio or video recording (a lecture, a call, a podcast) into text after the fact, often with diarization (splitting by speaker).
Voice input is real-time dictation: you speak and immediately get text in the active field. Transcription turns an already finished audio or video recording (for example, a meeting recording) into text after the fact. The Potok app handles the first task, live dictation; finished recordings in Russian are transcribed by its Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
Download Potok
Works with a single key in any program. 14 days of full access, then Free with 2500 words per week or Pro at 690 ₽/mo (499 ₽/mo paid yearly). Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokA voice message from a messenger or a call recording can be forwarded to the bot @potok_now_bot, and it sends back the text. The bot is part of the same subscription as the Potok app.
Primary sources: support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com