Google Docs Voice Typing: The Complete Guide
How to turn on voice typing in Google Docs, the full list of voice commands, why it sometimes won't work — and how to dictate everywhere else on your computer.
OpenWhispr
Engineering
Table of contents
To turn on voice typing in Google Docs, open a document in Chrome, go to Tools → Voice typing (or press Ctrl+Shift+S, or Cmd+Shift+S on a Mac), then click the microphone and start speaking. It's free, it's built in, and it's good for getting a first draft down quickly. It only runs in Chrome, it needs internet, and it only works inside Google Docs.
Below: how to enable it, the full list of voice commands, which languages work, the usual reasons it stops working, and how to dictate in apps other than Docs.
How to Turn On Voice Typing in Google Docs
Voice typing is part of Google Docs on the desktop, and it's built for the Google Chrome browser. Here's the full process:
- Open a document at docs.google.com in Chrome.
- In the menu bar, click Tools → Voice typing. (Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+S on Windows, Cmd+Shift+S on Mac.)
- A microphone box appears on the left of the page. Click it to start.
- The first time, your browser asks for microphone permission — click Allow.
- Speak naturally. Your words appear at the cursor as you talk.
- Click the microphone again (it turns gray) to stop.
Tip: Voice typing also works in the speaker-notes box of Google Slides — same Tools menu, same microphone.
Voice Commands: Punctuation, Formatting & Editing
You can speak punctuation, new lines, and editing commands, not just words. One catch: the editing and formatting commands only work when your document language is set to English.
Punctuation
- “period”
- “comma”
- “question mark”
- “exclamation point”
- “new line” / “new paragraph”
Formatting
- “bold” / “italics”
- “underline”
- “apply heading 1”
- “create bulleted list”
- “align center”
Editing & moving
- “select [word]”
- “delete last word”
- “go to end of paragraph”
- “next paragraph”
- “stop listening”
Which Languages Are Supported?
Voice typing handles dictation in about a hundred languages and dialects. Pick yours from the dropdown on the microphone box. You can dictate and add basic punctuation in any of them.
The spoken commands (formatting and editing like “bold” or “select paragraph”) are the exception — they only work in English. Dictate in another language and you'll get good text, but you'll format it with the keyboard or mouse.
Voice Typing on Phone & Tablet
This trips a lot of people up: the Google Docs mobile app has no “Voice typing” tool. On a phone or tablet you dictate the way you would in any app — by tapping the microphone on your keyboard:
- Android: tap the mic on Gboard (or your keyboard) while your cursor is in the document.
- iPhone / iPad: tap the dictation key on the iOS keyboard.
That's your device's built-in dictation, not the Docs feature, so accuracy, commands, and behavior won't match the desktop version.
Voice Typing Not Working? Try This
The Voice typing button is missing or grayed out
Use Google Chrome on a desktop. Voice typing isn't available in the mobile app, and other browsers aren't officially supported.
It won't pick up my voice
Check that docs.google.com has microphone permission (the camera/mic icon in Chrome's address bar), and that no other app is holding the mic.
It keeps stopping on its own
Voice typing stops listening after a pause or if you click away from the tab. Click the microphone again to resume, and keep the Docs tab in focus.
Nothing happens at all
You may be offline. Voice typing is cloud-based and needs an internet connection. Reconnect and reload the document.
What Google Docs Voice Typing Can't Do
It's a genuinely useful free feature. But it's built for one job — dictating inside a Google Doc — so it comes with some real limits:
Chrome only. No reliable support in Safari, Firefox, or Edge.
Online only. Audio is processed in Google's cloud — no connection, no dictation.
Docs only. It won't type into Gmail, Slack, your browser bar, or any other app.
Cloud privacy. Your voice is sent to Google to be transcribed — not ideal for sensitive material.
Want Voice Typing in Every App? Use OpenWhispr
If Docs is the only place you dictate, voice typing does the job. But the moment you want to talk into anything else — an email, a Slack message, a code comment, a form, your notes app — OpenWhispr covers what Google Docs doesn't:
It's basically Google Docs voice typing for your whole computer, minus the cloud. See how it works on Mac, Windows, and Linux, or browse every use case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn on voice typing in Google Docs?
Open a document in Chrome, then go to Tools → Voice typing (or press Ctrl+Shift+S on Windows, Cmd+Shift+S on Mac). A microphone box appears on the page. Click it, allow microphone access when prompted, and start speaking. Click the microphone again to stop. Voice typing only works in Google Docs on the desktop, and Google supports it in Chrome.
Why is my Google Docs voice typing not working?
Usually it's one of these: you're not in Chrome (voice typing is built for Chrome), the site doesn't have microphone permission, your internet dropped (it's cloud-based and needs to be online), or another app is using the mic. Check the mic permission for docs.google.com, confirm you're online, close other apps using the mic, and reload the document. The microphone also stops listening after a pause, so sometimes you just need to click it again.
Does Google Docs voice typing work offline?
No. It sends your audio to Google's servers to transcribe it, so it needs an internet connection. Go offline and it stops working. If you need dictation that works without a connection, you'll want an on-device tool that runs the speech model locally, like OpenWhispr.
What languages does Google Docs voice typing support?
It handles dictation in a wide range of languages and dialects (roughly 100). The spoken editing and formatting commands — things like “select paragraph”, “bold”, or “go to end of paragraph” — only work when your document language and account are set to English. In other languages you can still dictate text and basic punctuation, just not the full command set.
Does Google Docs voice typing work on iPhone or Android?
Not through the Google Docs mobile app — there's no “Voice typing” tool there. On a phone or tablet, tap the microphone on your keyboard instead (Gboard on Android, the dictation key on iOS) to dictate into the document. That's your phone's built-in dictation, not the Google Docs feature, and it behaves a bit differently.
How do I add punctuation and new lines with voice in Google Docs?
While dictating in English, just say it out loud: "period", "comma", "question mark", "exclamation point", "new line", and "new paragraph" all work. Formatting and editing commands like "bold", "italics", "select [word]", and "delete" work too — but only in English.
Is Google Docs voice typing private?
Your audio is sent to Google's cloud to turn it into text, so it isn't a local, private process. For most everyday writing that's fine. But if you're dictating sensitive material — client details, medical notes, anything confidential — consider a local-first tool like OpenWhispr that transcribes entirely on your own device, so the audio never leaves your machine.
Can I use voice typing outside of Google Docs?
Google's voice typing only works inside Google Docs (and the speaker-notes field in Google Slides). It won't dictate into Gmail, Slack, your browser's address bar, a code editor, or any other app. For one hotkey that dictates into any app, you need a dedicated dictation tool. OpenWhispr does that, works offline, and is open source.