Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Zalo on a computer (Windows or macOS) accepts ordinary text in the message field. You can type it as usual, and Potok (potok.now) helps you dictate it instead of a voice message. You hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), say the message and release: Potok gives about 900 characters per minute by voice, and the text goes straight into the send field.
A one-minute voice message takes the recipient the same 60 seconds to listen to, while the same amount of text can be read in a few seconds. If you want a Zalo message to be quick to skim rather than replay, text instead of a voice message is the faster option; a general look at this kind of replacement is in the overview of turning voice messages into text.
Before you record a voice message in Zalo
- Think about whether the recipient can listen right now. If they are in a noisy place, in a meeting or driving, text is easier and faster to read than a voice message is to work through.
- If the message is important and people come back to it later, such as an address, a time or a number, text is easier to quote and forward than a voice message: you do not have to replay it to check something.
- If typing is slow or awkward, because your hands are busy or the screen is small, dictate the text by voice instead of recording a voice message: hold the Potok hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), say the message and release, and the text goes into the Zalo message field by itself.
- If the message is long, several sentences in a row, dictating it whole is usually faster than typing: you speak, release the hotkey, and the text lands in the field by itself.
- Send it as an ordinary text message: the recipient reads it at once, without opening or listening to a recording.
If voice messages tire you more than they help in general, here is a separate look at why voice messages annoy many people (in Russian).
| 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 |
| Diktuy | Windows, macOS | 30 minutes of dictation per month, free forever | 239 ₽/mo (Profi (monthly equivalent when billed yearly)); 2870 ₽/yr (Profi (year, billed in full)); 479 ₽/mo (Max (monthly equivalent when billed yearly)) | rubles directly (not confirmed) | cloud (the data center country is not disclosed on the website) (not confirmed) |
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Text insertion | yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Web |
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
Dictating a long message as text in Zalo
You can dictate a whole long message in one go, several sentences in a row, without stopping to type each word. The Potok hotkey is held while you speak: release it, and all the text lands in the field at once, not word by word. If a long message contains numbers, amounts or times, you can just say them: Potok writes them as digits itself, for example saying “dvesti pyatdesyat rubley” (two hundred fifty rubles) gives “250 ₽”. The text goes exactly where the cursor is at that moment, so you do not have to move it to the right place by hand. Typing a long message usually has to be done in parts, glancing at the screen now and then, while by voice you can say it whole in one go without losing your train of thought.
Who does not need Potok here
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and dictating text will not work without the internet. If Zalo is open on a phone rather than a computer, Potok is not there: it has no apps for Android and iPhone and works only on a computer. And if you need to quickly fix what was said by voice after dictation, that will not work: Potok has no voice commands and no voice editing, only the keyboard and mouse.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. According to Zalo's official help, voice messages are available there as a separate message type, alongside text, photos and video. Dictating text instead of recording a voice message is simply another of these ways to write a message.
How to dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo. 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 dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo. 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 dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo. 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 dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo. 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 dictate text instead of a voice message in Zalo 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 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.
Primary sources: zalo.me · help.zalo.me · help.zalo.me