Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Yes, built-in dictation exists on a Mac with an Intel processor too, and it is turned on the same way: Apple menu → “System Settings” → “Keyboard” → “Dictation”. The difference is where speech is recognized: according to our data on Apple dictation, on a Mac with Apple silicon ordinary dictation is processed on the device, while on an Intel Mac the sound goes to Apple servers. Potok (potok.now) works on any Mac, both Intel and M1.
Some people still have a Mac on an Intel processor, and want to know in advance whether voice input will work on it and how it differs from newer models.
How voice input works on a Mac with an Intel processor
The built-in macOS dictation is turned on the same way on any Mac: Apple menu → “System Settings” → “Keyboard” → the “Dictation” section → turn it on, then “Enable”. The difference is where speech is recognized. According to our data on Apple dictation, on a Mac with Apple silicon ordinary dictation is processed on the device itself, while on an Intel Mac the sound goes to Apple servers and is turned into text there. One more detail from Apple's help concerns only Macs with Apple silicon: on them you can type on the keyboard without stopping dictation. What you need in general to start dictation is covered in the article how to dictate text on a MacBook by voice.
Where speech is recognized on an Intel Mac and how to check it
On an Intel Mac, according to our data, ordinary dictation sends the sound to Apple servers. You can check how it works on your Mac in System Settings: according to Apple's help, the “Keyboard” section shows whether dictated words are processed on the device and are not sent to Siri servers. This applies to ordinary dictation in messages and notes, but not to queries in the search field. More about working without a network is in the article does dictation on a Mac work without the internet.
Who this answer does not fit
This analysis is about the dictation built into macOS, not about voice input in general. Potok (potok.now) is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. Potok works on any Mac, both Intel and Apple silicon, and also on Windows and Linux.
Frequently asked questions
According to Apple's help, in the “Keyboard” section of System Settings you can check whether dictated words are processed on the device and are not sent to Siri servers. This applies to ordinary dictation, messages and notes, but not to queries in the search field.
Turn on Dictation: Apple menu → “System Settings” → “Keyboard” → “Dictation”. Then place the cursor in a text field, start dictation (the microphone key, if there is one in the row of function keys, the dictation key combination, or “Edit” → “Start Dictation”) and start speaking.
The built-in macOS Dictation supports Russian. Potok is a separate app with its own model trained for Russian speech, including terms and Russian mixed with English; the text is inserted into the active field of any app.
Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → turn it on and confirm with the button that says “Vklyuchit” (Turn on in Russian). Then start it like this: the microphone key (if there is one in the row of function keys), the dictation keyboard shortcut or Edit → Start Dictation.
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 the sound goes to Apple servers, and then the internet is needed. You can see it exactly in System Settings → Keyboard: under Dictation it says whether the internet is needed and whether speech is processed on the device.
No: according to Apple's help, you can dictate text of any length with no time limit. Dictation stops when you press Esc, the microphone key or the Dictation shortcut, and stops by itself if no speech is heard for 30 seconds.
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 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 |
| Task | Characters | Typing (200 chars/min) | Voice (900 chars/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chat reply | 300 | 2 min | 0.5 min |
| 1500 | 8 min | 1.7 min | |
| post or meeting minutes | 4000 | 20 min | 4.4 min |
| article | 10000 | 50 min | 11.1 min |
Primary sources: support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com