Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
The ChatGPT apps have their own voice input, but it is a voice mode for conversation, not line-by-line dictation into the prompt field. To get exact text in the field, dictated word for word, you need a third-party tool: a built-in OS tool or Potok (potok.now), which inserts dictated text into the active field and recognizes about 900 characters per minute.
Want to dictate a long prompt into ChatGPT instead of typing it by hand? The ChatGPT apps have their own voice input, but it is built differently from dictation into a text field, and it is worth understanding this before you start speaking a request.
What voice input in ChatGPT itself can do
The ChatGPT apps have their own voice input, which the company calls the voice mode. The main thing known about it is that it is not classic line-by-line dictation, where what you say turns word for word into text in the input field. The voice mode works differently and does not replace dictating a specific prompt text.
What this means in practice: if you need to say a request in exact words and get ready text in the input field, the built-in voice input is not meant for that. The prompt text field itself does accept ordinary pasting of text, so you can paste text dictated with any third-party tool, whether a built-in operating system tool or a separate app. The situation with voice input in Cursor is similar: a voice of its own for the chat and, separately, a text field where ready text is pasted.
What changes with Potok
Voice input for ChatGPT with Potok (potok.now) works not with the ChatGPT app specifically but with any active text field, including the prompt field in a browser or in an app. It works like this: you hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), say the prompt, release the key, and the text appears in the input field. Potok places punctuation and capital letters itself: you do not need to dictate “zapyataya” (comma) or “tochka” (period) separately.
Recognition runs in the cloud on Potok's own model trained on Russian speech, including terms and Russian text mixed with English words and commands, which is handy for prompts where some words are in English. By the stated figures, Potok recognizes about 900 characters per minute by voice, noticeably faster than ordinary typing (about 200 characters per minute). After that you can edit the ready text and send it as an ordinary prompt; dictating it in full is described on the page about voice input for prompts (in Russian).
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Free
- Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed
- Pro
- Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly
- Payment
- Russian bank cards, rubles
- Where speech is recognized
- cloud, servers in Russia; internet required
Potok is a cloud service, so it does not work without the internet. Download: potok.now/download
When the built-in ChatGPT voice mode is enough
If you just need to talk to ChatGPT by voice and hear the answer, the built-in voice mode is enough, and you do not need a separate app for that. The app is needed when it is important to get a specific, precisely worded prompt text in the input field, dictated word for word.
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has no offline mode, voice commands or phone app: it is a desktop program, not a replacement for the voice mode inside ChatGPT itself.
Frequently asked questions
No. The ChatGPT voice mode is a separate way of talking by voice, not line-by-line dictation into a text field. To get exact text in the prompt field, dictated word for word, you need a third-party tool: a built-in OS tool or a separate app such as Potok.
Voice input for ChatGPT. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input for ChatGPT you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input for ChatGPT. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input for ChatGPT you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input for ChatGPT. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For Voice input for ChatGPT you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input for ChatGPT. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input for ChatGPT you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
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, so 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, RuTube, Instagram or TikTok 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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: chatgpt.com · help.openai.com