Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Voice input on a laptop is turned on in one of three ways: with Win+H in Windows, with the built-in dictation in macOS, or with a separate app, Potok (potok.now), where voice is started by holding Ctrl+Space by default. Win+H works only through the internet, and Russian in it exists only in Windows 11.
Dictation instead of typing is a way of working in which a person creates text by voice rather than typing it on a keyboard. On a laptop this scenario is started with a built-in feature of the operating system or with a separate program: both are turned on with one key combination, and then you just speak.
Where voice input is needed most often
Voice input is turned on on a laptop when you need to quickly speak a long text: a report, a letter, notes after a meeting. Typing by hand takes longer, especially if the text is large, and not everyone can touch-type fast. It is also useful for those who find it inconvenient to keep their hands on the keyboard for long: with tired wrists or on the road, when the laptop is on your knees rather than on a desk. Students dictate lecture notes and drafts, authors dictate article texts, managers dictate letters and meeting minutes. If you need instructions for a desktop computer instead of a laptop, the steps for the built-in tools are the same, and they are collected in the article how to dictate text on a computer (in Russian).
How to turn on voice input, step by step
Voice input on a laptop can be turned on in three ways, which do not overlap, and you choose the suitable one for the task.
- In Windows press Win+H: voice input turns on, which recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud; it does not work without the internet, and Russian is available only in Windows 11.
- In macOS there is a ready built-in dictation with Russian.
- If you need voice input in any app at once on several systems, you install a separate program like Potok: it works in Windows, macOS and Linux. You hold the hotkey Ctrl+Space by default (it can be changed in the settings), speak and release, and the text appears where the cursor is.
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
Apps where this method does not work
Potok is a cloud service: the voice recording goes to servers in Russia for recognition, and without an internet connection it does not work, so on the road without a network you will not be able to dictate text with it. It will not fit where there is physically nowhere to insert text either: Potok does not insert text into protected fields and into full-screen games. For those who dictate all working day, the free limit of 2500 words per week will not be enough, and you need Pro. And for companies that are forbidden to send data to the cloud, only the business option with servers in their own perimeter fits. How punctuation is placed in dictation without manual commands is covered in the article how to place punctuation by voice (in Russian).
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Win+H in Windows recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud and does not work without a network, and Potok recognizes voice on servers in Russia and also requires a connection: there is no offline mode in either.
No. Russian appeared in Win+H only in Windows 11, and Windows 10 does not have it; only other interface languages are available there.
How to turn on voice input on a laptop. 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 input on a laptop you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn on voice input on a laptop. 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 input on a laptop you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn on voice input on a laptop. 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 input on a laptop you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn on voice input on a laptop. 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 input on a laptop you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Check it in one evening
Install Potok, dictate what you usually type and compare. 14 days of full access, no card needed. 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: wisprflow.ai · support.microsoft.com