Google Docs voice typing is free and works well — inside Google Docs. Chrome only. Docs and Slides only. No email, no Slack, no notes app, no IDE. This guide shows you how to use it, and what to use when you need to dictate across every app on your desktop.
Google Docs voice typing is built into Chrome — no extension or account upgrade required. Here's how to turn it on.
Go to docs.google.com in the Google Chrome browser. Voice typing is only available in Chrome — it uses Chrome's built-in Web Speech API.
Open an existing document or click "+ New document" to create a blank one. Voice typing works in Google Docs and Google Slides.
In the menu bar, click Tools → Voice typing… (or press Ctrl+Shift+S on Windows/Linux, ⌘+Shift+S on Mac). A microphone icon appears on the left side of the document.
If Chrome hasn't already been granted microphone permission, a browser prompt will appear. Click Allow. You only need to do this once.
Click the microphone icon — it turns red to show it is listening. Speak clearly at a normal pace. Your words appear in the document as you speak.
You can speak punctuation ("comma", "period", "new paragraph") and formatting commands ("bold", "italics", "heading 1") directly. A full list is in Google's Help Center.
Click the microphone icon again to stop recording, or say "Stop listening". The icon returns to grey.
Tip: Google Docs voice typing works in Chrome on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It supports English and many other languages — change the language in the voice typing panel before clicking the microphone.
Google's voice typing is genuinely useful for drafting inside Docs. But the ceiling is hard — Chrome-only, Docs-and-Slides-only, nowhere else. Here's exactly where it stops.
Voice typing only works inside Google Docs and Google Slides, and only in the Chrome browser. It's not available in Gmail, Google Sheets, Firefox, Safari, or as a desktop app. If your workflow takes you outside Chrome, you need a different tool.
You have to click the microphone icon to start each dictation session, and click again to stop. That's a button-press every time you speak — which adds friction for people who dictate throughout the day across many short bursts.
Can't dictate into Slack, your email client, VS Code, a Notion page, a terminal, or any native app. The overlay stays inside the Docs tab and has no reach beyond it.
Google Docs voice typing transcribes what you say — that's it. There's no AI post-processing (Rewrite, Summarize, Extract Action Items, Translate) and no way to upload a meeting recording for transcription.
Google Docs voice typing has a hard ceiling: Chrome only, Google Docs and Slides only, nowhere else. Your email? No. Slack? No. Notes? No. VS Code? No. Dicted is a system-wide overlay that sits above your entire desktop and lets you dictate into every app — email, IDE, Slack, Notion, a terminal, any browser tab.
Use push-to-talk (press a hotkey) or enable optional always-on hands-free mode — neural VAD activates when you speak, stops when you pause. Hands-free works best in quiet settings; push-to-talk is always available too.
2 hours/month free · No credit card required
Both tools transcribe speech. The difference is scope — Google's stays inside Docs, Dicted works everywhere.
| Feature | Google Docs voice typing | Dicted |
|---|---|---|
| Works in Google Docs | Yes — and any other app | |
| Works outside Google Docs | No — Docs and Slides only | Yes — any app on your desktop |
| Browser required | Yes — Chrome only | No — native desktop app |
| Optional always-on hands-free mode | No — click mic to start/stop | Yes — neural VAD (quiet settings) |
| Linux | Chrome browser only | Full native app (.deb + AppImage) |
| Windows | Chrome browser only | Native app (MSI) |
| macOS | Chrome browser only | Native app (DMG, Apple Silicon) |
| AI text actions | Yes — unlimited on Pro | |
| Meeting transcription | Yes — upload file, no bot | |
| Cost | Free (Google account) | Free tier + Pro $144/yr |
Google Docs, Google Chrome, and related marks are trademarks of Google LLC, used factually/nominatively.
Comparison details reflect publicly available information about third-party products as of June 2026 and may change — please verify current features and pricing on each provider's official website. Product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners; references here are nominative and do not imply affiliation or endorsement.
Dicted's free tier gives you 2 hours of voice typing per month — enough to try dictation in every app (not just Docs). Pro unlocks unlimited voice typing and AI text actions, plus 100 hr/mo meeting transcription.
Unlimited is for one human — not bots, multi-person sharing, or resale. Fair use applies.
Get ProDictation in every app — Mac, Windows, Linux, and Web. Push-to-talk or hands-free.
Try Dicted free2 hours/month free · No credit card required.