Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Half a year with Win+H in Windows shows: voice input without installing programs works in any app, but only in Windows 11; in Windows 10 Win+H has no Russian, and without the internet it does not respond at all, because it recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud. For constant dictation outside Windows 11, separate programs such as Potok (potok.now), with 2500 words per week free, are a fit.
Those who try voice input in Windows for the first time usually start with Win+H: it is already built into the system, and there is nothing to download or install. Over half a year of regular use, some expectations are not met: not every version of Windows has Russian, and without the internet Win+H is completely silent, although on the screen everything looks as if it should work.
What dictation with Win+H looked like day by day
Win+H is turned on with a key combination right in the field where you normally type text: in the browser, in email, in any text editor. A small panel with a recording indicator appears on the screen, and the spoken phrase lands in the field almost immediately. The first weeks with this tool go on getting used to it: press the combination, wait for the microphone icon, speak in whole phrases rather than one word at a time, and only then read the result.
Then the limitations that are not visible on the first day start to show. Win+H recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud, and if there is no internet connection at that moment (for example, Wi-Fi at home went down, or a work laptop went into airplane mode on the road), dictation simply does not respond, although the microphone icon does not disappear from the screen. You have to work out the cause anew each time, because the system shows no explicit error.
Another discovery is about the Windows version. Win+H has Russian only in Windows 11; in Windows 10 the system voice input works, but without Russian recognition. On a computer with the older version of the system, Win+H does not help with Russian speech at all, and this is found out not at once but only when you get to trying to dictate text.
After half a year of such use, Win+H turns out to be a decent option for short occasional phrases, such as sketching an email or replying in a messenger, but it requires a stable internet connection and Windows 11, without which it either stays silent or recognizes in the wrong language.
What changed over these six months
The habit of pressing a key combination instead of reaching for the keyboard sets in quickly: for short phrases it becomes a reflex already in the first weeks. But there is no noticeable time saving on long texts: without a personal dictionary, names, terms and rare words have to be fixed by hand each time again, because Win+H does not remember earlier corrections.
The dependence on the internet does not go away over half a year but rather becomes more noticeable: the more often you count on voice input, the more sensitive you are to network outages. At a workplace with stable Wi-Fi it hardly gets in the way; on the road or in a room with a weak signal it gets in the way every time.
Separate dictation programs that have a personal dictionary and do not depend on the Windows version begin to look like a logical next step exactly where Win+H runs into its limits: on long texts with repeated names and terms.
| 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 |
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| WhispeRu | Windows | 7-day free trial (no card) | 290 ₽/mo (monthly license); 1990 ₽/yr (yearly license); 4990 ₽/one-time (lifetime license) | rubles directly (payment via YooKassa) | device (offline) |
Who does not need such a move
Those who dictate rarely and in short phrases do not need a separate program: Win+H is fine for occasional use in Windows 11 without extra installation. Potok is not always the best choice here either: it is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection, the same limitation as Win+H, just on different servers. The difference is in convenience for long and frequent texts: a personal dictionary and work in any app, not only where Win+H works. A wider choice of dictation programs is in the catalog of voice input programs.
Where to start
- Check the Windows version: Win+H has Russian only in Windows 11, and Windows 10 does not have it.
- Try Win+H on a couple of short phrases in different apps and see whether the delay before recognition suits you.
- Note how often the internet drops in the places where you need dictation; Win+H depends on it completely.
- If you have many texts and names or terms repeat in them, try a separate program with a personal dictionary, for example Potok: it has 14 days of full access free, with no card.
- For dictation with no internet at all, look at programs with local recognition; more in the comparison with WhispeRu.
- Compare the result after a week: how many manual corrections were left after Win+H and how many after a program with a personal dictionary.
Frequently asked questions
Most often it is the internet. Win+H recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud and does not respond without a network connection, although the microphone indicator on the screen may stay visible. Check the connection and try again.
No. Win+H has Russian only in Windows 11. Windows 10 has a system voice input, but without Russian speech recognition.
Half a year of struggling with Win+H. 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 Half a year of struggling with Win+H you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Half a year of struggling with Win+H. 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 Half a year of struggling with Win+H you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Half a year of struggling with Win+H. 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 Half a year of struggling with Win+H you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Half a year of struggling with Win+H. 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 Half a year of struggling with Win+H 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.
Primary sources: speakflow.ru · speakflow.ru · speakflow.ru · blog.speakflow.ru · support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com