Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Google Docs has built-in voice typing: the Tools → Voice typing menu or Ctrl+Shift+S, but it works only in the Chrome browser, because the program itself is a web version with no separate app for Windows or macOS. If you need dictation in any other field and app, not only in an open Chrome tab, there are separate programs such as Potok (potok.now), which responds in about 0.4 seconds.
Google Docs is a web editor: it has no separate app for Windows or macOS, and you can only work in the browser. It has its own voice typing feature, but with a browser restriction, and this changes when it is worth using the built-in tool and when a third-party program.
Voice typing in Google Docs: what the built-in tool can do
Google Docs has built-in voice typing: it is turned on via the Tools → Voice typing menu or with Ctrl+Shift+S (Cmd+Shift+S on a Mac). This feature works only in the Chrome browser; in other browsers the menu item is unavailable or does not work. Since the program itself exists only as a web version, dictation is limited to the browser tab: the built-in voice typing does not let you insert text directly into another app or into a file on the computer, only into the text field of the document open in Chrome. The service's official website is docs.google.com.
What changes with Potok
Unlike the browser-based Google Docs, Potok works as a separate app for Windows, macOS and Linux and inserts text into the active field of any app, not only in one browser. Potok's default hotkey is Ctrl+Space: it differs from Ctrl+Shift+S, which turns on Google Docs' own voice typing, so the combinations do not overlap. Potok responds in about 0.4 seconds, and punctuation is placed automatically during recognition.
- 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 voice typing is enough
If you need dictation only inside Google Docs and only in Chrome, the built-in tool is enough: it is free and needs no installation. Potok is worth adding when you need to dictate text not only in Google Docs but also in other fields and apps. Keep in mind that Potok is a cloud service: speech recognition runs on servers in Russia, and without an internet connection it does not work. It has no voice commands for editing text, and there are no mobile apps: dictation is available only from a computer. If you also dictate emails regularly, there is a separate article on voice input in Outlook (in Russian); an overview of dictation in other programs is in the article on voice input for apps.
Frequently asked questions
No, this feature works only in the Chrome browser: in other browsers the menu item is unavailable or does not work.
No: Google Docs voice typing is turned on with Ctrl+Shift+S, and Potok's default hotkey is Ctrl+Space, so these combinations do not overlap.
Voice typing in Google Docs. 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 typing in Google Docs you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice typing in Google Docs. 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 typing in Google Docs you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice typing in Google Docs. 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 typing in Google Docs you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice typing in Google Docs. 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 typing in Google Docs you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to start
Potok is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. For two weeks everything is open for free, after that 2500 words per week without paying. Potok is a cloud service, so 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.
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
| 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 |
| 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: docs.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com