Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Voice input in Windows is available through the built-in Win+H panel or through a separate program. Win+H understands Russian only in Windows 11; in Windows 10 it is not there at all. Potok (potok.now) is a separate app with the Ctrl+Space hotkey, and Russian in it does not depend on the version of the built-in panel.
Voice input in Windows is a way to turn speech into text right in the active window: the built-in panel opened with Win+H or a separate program does it without the keyboard. The difference between the options is not just about accuracy: the system version also matters, since what works in one Windows build may be unavailable in another, and that is where to start before comparing the other parameters.
What voice input in Windows is, in plain words
The built-in panel opened with Win+H appears over any active text field and recognizes spoken words by sending the sound to a Microsoft server. It is free and needs no installation, but with a caveat that often causes confusion: this panel understands Russian only in Windows 11. In Windows 10 Russian is not among the supported languages at all: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Chinese are available there, according to official Microsoft data.
Separate voice input programs are the second path. They are installed on top of the system and add what the built-in tool lacks: a personal dictionary of terms, a single hotkey for all apps, a recognition model tuned specifically for Russian. In such programs Russian does not depend on which version of Windows is installed, unlike the built-in panel, where the system version directly determines whether Russian is available at all.
The choice between these paths depends on your system version and how much you dictate: for Windows 11 and occasional messages the built-in panel is often enough, while Windows 10 or daily work with professional vocabulary usually calls for a separate program.
- Voice input in Windows 10 in Russian: is it there and what to use instead
- How to download Russian for voice input in Windows 11
All articles in this section, in Russian (48): potok.now/windows
The most common tasks
- Turn on voice input in Russian in Windows 11: no third-party programs are needed, everything is already in the system; a step-by-step guide is in the article how to download Russian for voice typing in Windows 11.
- Work out why voice input behaves differently on Windows 10 than expected: the system version determines the availability of Russian more than any other setting; details are in the article voice typing in Russian on Windows 10.
- Check what changed in voice input after a major system update, if the usual settings suddenly stopped working as before after the update.
- Set the hotkey so that it does not clash with key combinations already taken in frequently used programs.
- Compare the built-in tool with a separate program by specific parameters: accuracy on terms, a personal dictionary, price.
Where Potok will not help
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work at all without the internet, just like the built-in Windows panel. Those who specifically need an offline solution need a separate local program.
Potok does not support voice commands for editing text: it inserts what you said and does not edit what was written earlier. There are no mobile apps for Android and iPhone either: only the desktop version for Windows and macOS. Companies that prohibit cloud processing of data can only use the option with servers inside the organization's perimeter, on request, not the free or the standard paid plan.
Frequently asked questions
No, neither the built-in Win+H panel nor cloud-based third-party programs work without a network: in both cases the sound goes to a server for recognition. Only programs with an offline mode, which install the model right on the computer, work without the internet.
The built-in Win+H panel needs Windows 11; Windows 10 has no Russian there. In separate programs such as Potok, Russian does not depend on which Windows version the system's built-in panel supports.
Voice input in Windows. 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 Voice input in Windows you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Windows. 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 Voice input in Windows you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Windows. 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 Voice input in Windows you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Windows. 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 Voice input in Windows 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 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.
Related software: terms compared
| 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 |
| SpeakFlow | Windows, Web | 30 minutes of dictation per month, free forever | 690 ₽/mo (Personal (unlimited)) | rubles directly | cloud (the data center country is not disclosed on the website) (not confirmed) |
| 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) |
| Talkpad | macOS, Windows, Android | 2500 words/week on desktop, 1500 words/week on mobile, free forever; plus a 14-day Pro trial | $6/mo (Pro (billed yearly, $72/yr)); $8/mo (Pro (monthly billing)) | unknown (not confirmed) | cloud (the legal entity is registered in Australia; the website is hosted on Cloudflare; the exact location of the ASR servers is not disclosed in the privacy policy) (not confirmed) |
| Voisty | Windows, macOS | 5 minutes of transcription (to judge the quality) | $6.7/mo (Pro); $67/yr (Pro (year)); $99/one-time (Lifetime) | Visa/Mastercard/Amex cards, PayPal; whether Russian cards are accepted is not stated (not confirmed) | device (offline, local models such as Whisper Large V3 Turbo / NVIDIA Parakeet) |
| 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) |
| GigaType | Windows, macOS | free with no limits: open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2026 Disrupt Builders), all features are available without payment | — | not needed: there are no paid plans | device (offline, Sber's GigaAM neural network) |
| Molvi | Windows, macOS | free forever, no accounts and no payment | — | not needed: the product is free; voluntary donations are accepted via Telegram Tribute or by card on the website, amounts are not fixed | device (offline; best quality on an NVIDIA GPU, otherwise a fast model on the CPU) |
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
Primary sources: speakflow.ru · speakflow.ru · speakflow.ru · blog.speakflow.ru · support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com