Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
No, Win+H does not work without the internet: recognition runs in the Microsoft cloud (Azure Speech), a network connection is required, and the Online speech recognition setting must be turned on. Potok (potok.now) recognizes speech on servers in Russia and does not work without the internet either. Win+H has Russian only in Windows 11.
Many people want to dictate text fully offline, without the internet, especially where the network is unstable. But for Win+H, built into Windows, this possibility depends on the network connection.
Why Win+H stops working without the internet
Win+H may not start even when the microphone is fine. Besides the network, there is a switch: in Settings → Privacy & security → Speech there is Online speech recognition, and voice typing uses exactly this cloud function. If the switch is off, voice input does not work even with a working internet. Win+H is free and built into both Windows 10 and Windows 11: the program itself is preinstalled, but without a network request to Azure Speech services there will be no recognition. Other questions about voice input are collected in the questions section.
How to turn voice input back on
If Win+H has internet access but dictation still does not start, check the recognition setting.
- Open Settings → Privacy & security → Speech and turn on the Online speech recognition switch.
After this, Win+H will again be able to send the recording to the Microsoft server (Azure Speech) and get the recognized text, provided of course that there really is an internet connection: without it the switch will not help. Options for Windows 10, where Win+H has no Russian, are covered in the article on voice input for Windows 10 without built-in Russian.
What to do if there is no internet at all
If the cause is not the switch but there is no internet at all, neither temporarily nor permanently, Win+H will not help. Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. Neither Win+H nor Potok recognizes text without a network.
Frequently asked questions
No: voice typing uses cloud speech recognition (Azure Speech), and without the Online speech recognition setting turned on in Settings → Privacy & security → Speech, voice input will not start even if the internet is available.
Yes: Win+H is free and preinstalled in both Windows 10 and Windows 11; you do not need to download it separately or pay for it.
In Windows 10 there is no Russian in built-in voice input at all; it exists only in Windows 11. If Russian speech is recognized poorly in Windows 11, Microsoft advises checking that the Russian input language is selected (Win+Space), that the right microphone is selected in Settings → System → Sound → Input, and trying a headset or an external microphone instead of the built-in one. Potok is a separate app with its own model trained for Russian speech, including terms and mixed Russian and English.
Press Win+H in any text field and the built-in dictation panel opens; for controlling the computer by voice there is a separate Windows feature, Windows Speech Recognition (Win+Ctrl+S).
No: voice typing with extended language support (including Russian) is a built-in feature of Windows 11 specifically, and it cannot be moved or installed on Windows 10 separately. Windows 10 has an older version of dictation with fewer languages (no Russian).
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 classic Windows speech recognition (Windows Speech Recognition). Voice Access has no Russian.
If you want to compare for yourself
Take one of your own tasks and dictate it in Potok. The first 14 days have no limits and need no card. 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 |
| 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