Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Google voice input through Gboard does not start or does not recognize speech for one of 6 official reasons: no microphone permission, the Voice typing switch is off, the cache is clogged, the app is outdated, network problems, or the Gboard language does not match the device language. You check them in turn: permissions, the switch, the cache, the app update, the network and the language match.
Voice input in the Google keyboard (Gboard) suddenly stops starting, or the microphone icon appears but the text is not recognized at all. Officially there are several known causes for this, and almost all of them can be checked and fixed right on the phone, without reinstalling the system.
What it looks like when Google voice input does not work
The user taps the microphone icon on the Gboard keyboard expecting to dictate text, and instead either nothing happens, or the recording runs but the recognized text does not appear. Sometimes voice input does not respond to the tap at all, sometimes it works every other time. At the same time the phone itself and the other keyboard functions work normally: typing by hand, switching languages, emoji, none of it is affected, only voice input breaks. According to Google's official troubleshooting guide for Gboard, several different causes can be behind this: from a plainly missing microphone permission to an outdated version of the Gboard app itself.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Google voice input (through Gboard or the system keyboard) does not start or does not recognize speech | The official Gboard troubleshooting guide lists: no microphone permission, the Voice typing switch turned off, a clogged cache, an outdated app, network problems, a mismatch between the Gboard language and the device language (for extended voice input). | Check the microphone permissions and the Voice typing switch, clear the cache, update Gboard, check the network and that the languages match. |
What may actually be broken
The official Gboard troubleshooting guide names six possible causes: the app has no microphone permission, the Voice typing switch is off in the Gboard settings themselves, the keyboard cache is clogged, the app version is outdated, there are network connection problems, and the Gboard language does not match the device language, which concerns extended voice input separately. None of this requires reinstalling Android or resetting the phone to factory settings: each cause is checked and fixed separately, right in the settings.
How to check and fix Google voice input in order
- Check the microphone permission for Gboard in the Android settings. Without it speech recognition is technically impossible.
- Open the Gboard settings themselves and make sure the Voice typing switch is on.
- Clear the Gboard app cache through the Android app settings.
- Check whether the latest version of Gboard is installed and update the app if needed.
- Check the internet connection: Google voice input needs a network.
- If you use extended voice input, make sure the Gboard language matches the device language.
- 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
Who this path does not fit
If none of the six items helped and you need voice input on the phone badly, what is left is a question for the Google app itself or for the device maker, not something the user's settings solve. Potok is not available on a phone, tablet or watch: it works only on a computer, Windows, macOS and Linux. Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. If you dictate a lot at a computer, Potok can replace the built-in dictation there. Other voice input errors are collected in the section “dictation is not available in this language (Russian): what to do” (in Russian) and in the general section “voice input does not work”.
Frequently asked questions
The official list has five more items: whether the Voice typing switch is on in the Gboard settings, whether the app cache is clogged, whether the latest version of Gboard is installed, whether the internet connection works, and whether the Gboard language matches the device language, which is a separate condition for extended voice input.
Why Google voice input does not work. 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 Why Google voice input does not work you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Why Google voice input does not work. 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 Why Google voice input does not work you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Why Google voice input does not work. 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 Why Google voice input does not work you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Why Google voice input does not work. 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 Why Google voice input does not work you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Primary sources: support.google.com · support.microsoft.com