Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Auto-dictation on a MacBook is turned on in System Settings, in the Keyboard section: open Dictation there, turn it on and confirm with the button that says “Vklyuchit” (Turn on in Russian). After that the feature recognizes speech in any text field and supports Russian right away. For voice input in all programs on the computer at once there is a separate program, Potok (potok.now): 2500 words per week are free in it, and you dictate by holding the Ctrl+Space hotkey.
Typing a long text on a MacBook by hand takes a long time. Apple has a ready-made feature for this, auto-dictation. You turn it on once in the settings, and after that you simply speak into any text field.
Where auto-dictation on a MacBook is needed most often
Auto-dictation comes in handy in notes, emails, messages and document drafts, anywhere it is easier to say a phrase than to type it by hand. It is also useful for those who find it uncomfortable to keep their hands on the keyboard for long, when the wrists are tired or in breaks between tasks. Dictation is built right into macOS, so once turned on it works at once in any app with a text field, such as mail, notes or the browser, with nothing extra to install. Other ways to dictate text on a computer, besides the built-in ones, are covered in the article general overview of voice input.
How to turn on auto-dictation, step by step
Turning on auto-dictation on a MacBook takes a few clicks in the system settings. Nothing needs to be installed, since the feature is already built into macOS.
- Open the Apple menu.
- Choose System Settings and go to the Keyboard section.
- Find the Dictation section there and turn it on.
- Confirm turning it on with the button that says “Vklyuchit” (Turn on in Russian). This sequence of screens and its final step are described in Apple's official help (mh40584).
Dictation itself on a Mac is started with the microphone key (if there is one in the function key row), the dictation shortcut, or through Edit → Start Dictation.
After that dictation is available in any text field on the MacBook, and Russian is already among the supported languages. If dictation still does not start after these steps, the causes are covered in the article what to do if it does not start (in Russian).
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
What auto-dictation and Potok will not do
If you need voice input not only on a Mac but also on Windows or Linux, there is Potok (potok.now), but it has its limits too. Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. It has no apps for Android and iPhone, and it does not insert text into protected fields and full-screen games. For those who dictate the whole working day, the free limit of 2500 words per week will not be enough and you need Pro, while for companies that forbid the cloud only the business option fits.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. macOS has built-in dictation with Russian.
How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook. 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 How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook. 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 How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook. 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 How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook. 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 How to turn on voice auto-dictation on a MacBook 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 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: support.apple.com · support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com