How to use voice typing in Google Docs, and in every other app
In Google Docs, open Tools, then Voice typing, click the microphone and speak: Google's built-in tool does the job inside your document. SpeakApp starts where it stops. It writes at the cursor in your mail, your CRM and your team chat, and it reads your AI agents' replies aloud, one after another. You say “ok”, answer by voice, say “enter”, and your message goes into the right session.
How do you use voice typing in Google Docs?
- Open your document and click where the text should go.
- Choose Tools, then Voice typing. Allow microphone access if your browser asks.
- Click the microphone and speak at a normal pace and volume.
- Click the microphone again when you finish.
You can say punctuation such as “comma” and “period”. According to Google's help, editing and formatting commands such as selecting or deleting text need the account language and the document language to be English. Google also notes that an organization's administrator can turn voice typing off, which is why the menu entry is sometimes missing at work.
Google's current help lists Chrome alongside other supported browsers, so “Chrome only” is no longer an accurate description of the built-in tool. On a phone, dictation comes from the keyboard (Gboard on Android) and is separate from the Docs microphone described here.
Where does Google Docs voice typing stop?
It is document dictation. The microphone you start in Docs types into that document, not into the mail, the CRM note or the chat message you open next. It also has nothing to say about your AI conversations: replies keep arriving while you write, and you have to go and look at them.
| Voice typing in Google Docs | SpeakApp | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | In the Google Docs document | At the cursor, in Windows apps |
| Start | Tools, then Voice typing, then the microphone | Ctrl + Shift + Space, or “ok” |
| Your AI agents' replies | Out of scope | Read one after another. You answer by voice |
| What you need | A Google account and a browser | SpeakApp and a microphone. Free plan with volume limits |
How do you dictate in every app, and answer your AI by voice?
Say you are writing a client proposal in Google Docs while a few ChatGPT conversations run in your browser: one checks the wording of the proposal, another drafts the follow-up email, a third prepares the meeting summary. SpeakApp reads each finished reply aloud, one after another, and keeps its source attached.
You say “ok”, speak your answer, then say “enter”. The message goes into the right ChatGPT session, without hunting for its window. Back in the document you dictate the revised paragraph at the cursor: Ctrl + Shift + Space, speak, say “stop”, and the text is pasted without anything being sent. The same gesture works in an email to a client or a note in your CRM, with no per-app setup.
Dictation and the listening loop are separate features: dictation writes a text where your cursor is, the loop follows your conversations. For web AI apps, the SpeakApp Chrome extension connects by itself once SpeakApp is running. A session that runs in the cloud, away from your computer, is not read aloud.
Keep reading
- Dictating in Word, and in every other app
- Dictating in Slack and Teams
- How the listening loop works
- The personal dictionary for client names and acronyms
SpeakApp is available on Windows, coming soon to Mac. See pricing for the free plan and its volume limits.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google Docs take dictation?
Yes. Open Tools, then Voice typing, and click the microphone to dictate into your document. Spoken punctuation and supported editing commands are also available.
How do I turn on voice typing in Google Docs?
Open a document, choose Tools, then Voice typing, allow the microphone when your browser asks, and click the microphone. Click it again to stop.
Is Google Docs voice typing Chrome-only?
No. Google's current official help lists Chrome alongside other supported browsers, so Chrome-only is no longer an accurate description.
Why is voice typing missing from my Google Docs?
Google's help notes that an organization's administrator can disable it. If your account is managed by your employer, ask your administrator.
Can I dictate outside Google Docs?
Yes. SpeakApp writes at the cursor in Windows apps, including your browser, your mail and your messaging tools. It is available on Windows, coming soon to Mac.
How do I dictate on my phone?
Use your keyboard's dictation, for example Gboard on Android. It is separate from the Google Docs microphone on a computer.
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?