Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Gemini's apps and website have dictation: the microphone icon in the prompt field turns speech into text at the cursor, and the recognition language depends on the chosen interface language. This is not the same as Gemini Live, a separate voice mode for talking with the assistant. You can also dictate text into any field through Potok (potok.now), about 900 characters per minute by voice.
More answers are in the apps section.
Voice input in Gemini comes in two kinds: short dictation of a prompt with the microphone icon, and Gemini Live, a separate conversational mode. Let us look at how dictation works according to Google's help and what to do if you need to dictate a long text and not talk with the assistant.
How dictation works in Gemini
Gemini has built-in dictation: in the prompt field, on the web, in apps for Windows and Mac and in mobile apps for Android and iOS, there is a microphone icon. Pressing it turns speech into text right in the field where the cursor is, and the text can be corrected before the prompt is sent.
The recognition language depends on which language is chosen in the Gemini interface, and some voice features are available not in all languages, as stated in Google's help. Separate from this dictation there is Gemini Live: a voice mode for a natural conversation with the assistant, in which you can interrupt it on the fly. It is a different feature and not line-by-line dictation of text into the prompt field.
More about dictation is in Google's help: Use your voice with Gemini.
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Built-in dictation | yes: In the Gemini (web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS) has dictation through the microphone icon in the prompt field: pressing the microphone icon turns speech into text at the cursor. The recognition language depends on the chosen Gemini interface language; some voice features are available not in all languages. |
| Text insertion | yes |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
How to dictate text in Gemini through Potok
- Open Gemini, in a browser, in a computer app or on a phone, and put the cursor in the prompt field or in any other text field.
- Hold Potok's hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default) and, without releasing it, say the text.
- Release the key: the recording goes to Potok's servers, the text is recognized and appears in the same field.
- Check the text and send the prompt.
Punctuation and capital letters are placed automatically, and you do not need to dictate "zapyataya" (comma) or "tochka" (period) separately. Recognition is in the cloud, on its own model trained on Russian speech, including terms and mixed Russian text with English words, which is convenient for prompts in two languages. Potok states about 900 characters per minute against about 200 with ordinary typing. Potok's personal dictionary on the Pro plan remembers terms and names that often repeat in prompts. This way of dictating text works in other similar apps too, for example in ChatGPT or in Claude. If the default hotkey is inconvenient, it can be changed in the settings to a ready shortcut, your own key or a side mouse button.
When Gemini's built-in dictation is enough
If you need to quickly dictate a short prompt right into Gemini, the microphone icon in the prompt field is enough for this, and you do not need to install a separate app.
Potok is a cloud service, with recognition on servers in Russia; it does not work without the internet. It has no voice commands and no editing of text by voice: it only inserts the dictated text into the field you chose. It has no offline mode and no phone app: it is a desktop program for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Frequently asked questions
Judging by Google's help, the recognition language in Gemini dictation depends on the chosen interface language of the app, and some voice features are available not in all languages. The help does not give an exact list of supported languages.
Voice input in Gemini. 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 in Gemini you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Gemini. 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 in Gemini you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Gemini. 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 in Gemini you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Gemini. 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 in Gemini 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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: gemini.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com