Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
WeChat converts an already recorded voice message into text, but only in Mandarin, English and Cantonese, without Russian. To dictate text at once, skipping the voice recording, on a computer Potok (potok.now) helps: the text lands right in the WeChat message field, and Potok recognizes about 900 characters per minute by voice.
A recipient listens to a voice message at the speed at which it was recorded, while text can be skimmed with the eyes. WeChat has its own way to turn a voice message into text, but it does not always fit; a general breakdown of such a replacement is in the overview of turning voice messages into text.
| 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 |
How to dictate text instead of a voice message in WeChat
WeChat itself has a way to turn an already recorded voice message into text: swipe up and to the right while recording, or hold an incoming message and choose the “Convert to text” command. But the conversion works only for Mandarin, English and Cantonese, and Russian is not in the list. WeChat has versions for Windows and macOS. To get Russian text at once, instead of recording a voice message and then dealing with it, a separate program for a computer helps: Potok. You hold the hotkey, Ctrl+Space by default, say the message and release, and the text lands right in the WeChat message field, skipping the voice recording altogether.
Why text is sometimes more polite than a voice message
A voice message is not always polite: the other person has to listen to it in real time, and this is not convenient everywhere. In a meeting room, on transport or with a sleeping person nearby, text is easier and quieter to read. Some people find it inconvenient to read, others to listen: if you do not know the other person's preferences, text is safer, as it can be looked through anywhere, even silently. If the message is important and people return to it (an address, a meeting time, a number), such details are easier to save and forward as text than to retell in your own words what you heard in a voice message. How to do the same in Telegram is covered in the article on voice input in Telegram.
When it is still better to record a voice message
A voice message is honestly more convenient if your hands are busy (while driving, while cooking) or the thought is long and tangled: it is easier to say it than to word it in writing. It also fits when intonation matters: a joke, an apology or an emotion sounds livelier by voice than in text. But recording text instead through Potok works only on a computer: it has no apps for Android and iPhone, and Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and without the internet you cannot dictate text. It also has no voice commands or editing by voice.
Frequently asked questions
No: converting a voice message to text in WeChat supports only Mandarin, English and Cantonese, and Russian is not there. To get Russian text, you can dictate it straight into the message field through a third-party program such as Potok.
How to dictate text instead of a voice message in WeChat. 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 WeChat 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 WeChat. 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 WeChat 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 WeChat. 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 WeChat 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 WeChat. 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 WeChat 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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: www.wechat.com · cs.help.wechat.com