How to dictate in Slack and Teams: write your message without typing it

SpeakApp reads your AI agents' replies aloud, one after another. You say “ok”, answer, say “enter”, and your message goes into the right session, with no window to hunt down. Dictation writes your words wherever your cursor is: in the message box of Slack or Teams, as in any Windows text field. Place the cursor, start dictation, speak, review, then send when you are ready.

How do you dictate a message in Slack or Teams?

1. Open the conversation or channel, and check the recipient's name before you speak.
2. Click the message box: the cursor should be blinking in it.
3. Start dictation with Ctrl + Shift + Space, or say “ok” when no reply is waiting for you.
4. Speak naturally, as you would to a colleague. To finish, say “stop”: the text is pasted without being sent. Say “enter” only if you want to paste and send in one go.
5. Read the message, fix a name or a figure if needed, then send it yourself.

A good first test: one harmless sentence, just to see that the text lands in the right box. If you change your mind, Ctrl + Alt + X cancels the dictation and nothing is pasted.

The text appears when you finish dictating, not while you speak. In Precise mode, the original mode, it arrives a little later with the best quality. In Fast mode it is pasted as soon as you stop.

Why does it work in Slack and Teams?

SpeakApp's dictation doesn't depend on a given app: it writes at the cursor in Windows apps. Slack and Teams need to do nothing, whether you run them as apps or in a browser. The same dictation works for an email, a note or a message to a client.

Client names, team jargon and tools like HubSpot are often transcribed wrongly. SpeakApp's personal dictionary remembers the words you correct and writes them right the next time.

How is it different from Windows voice typing?

Windows has its own voice typing: with the cursor in a text box, press Windows + H and wait for “Listening…”. Microsoft says it needs a microphone and an internet connection. It dictates, nothing more. SpeakApp adds listening to your agents' replies and answering by voice in their session.

Dictating in Teams or answering an agent: two gestures

A message to your team and a reply to an AI agent don't follow the same path. In Slack or Teams you choose the conversation yourself. For an agent, the toast shows the conversation that is waiting, you say “ok”, and your answer goes into that session. Reading aloud applies to your agents, not to your team's messages.

Keep reading

• How the listening loop works
• The personal dictionary
• Dictating in Word and in every other app

SpeakApp is available on Windows, coming soon to Mac. The free plan includes the features, with volume limits: see pricing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on voice to text typing?

With SpeakApp: click in a text field, press Ctrl + Shift + Space and speak. With Windows alone: cursor in a text box, press Windows + H and wait for “Listening…” before speaking.

How can I dictate an email in Outlook?

Open a new message, click in the body so the cursor is there, start SpeakApp's dictation with Ctrl + Shift + Space, speak, say “stop” to paste without sending, then review and send it yourself.

Can I dictate in Slack and Teams with SpeakApp?

Yes. Dictation writes at the cursor in Windows apps' text fields. Put the cursor in the message box, dictate, review, send.

Does saying “ok” send my message in Teams?

No. “ok” starts your dictation, or your reply to the conversation in the toast. To paste without sending, say “stop”; “enter” pastes and sends.

Are my Slack and Teams conversations read aloud?

No. Reading aloud applies to your AI agents' replies, not to your team's messages.

Try SpeakApp

SpeakApp is available on Windows, coming soon to Mac. Download SpeakApp or join the Mac waiting list. To see the whole product first: What is SpeakApp?