Google voice typing is a tool inside Google Docs. If most of your writing happens in one Google document, it may be everything you need.
The trouble starts when you also write in email, chat, a code editor or Word. Talkativ is built for that, and works the same way in all of them. The Google facts below are dated, and you should check Google’s own help pages before you decide.
Google Docs voice typing: what it does well
As of 5 November 2026, according to Google’s help page for voice typing:
- you turn it on in Google Docs from the Tools menu, then Voice typing
- it works in the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari
- you can say punctuation, such as “period”, “comma”, “question mark”, “new line” and “new paragraph”
- it works in many languages (Google lists each one), but voice commands work in English only
- it also works for speaker notes and captions in Google Slides
Google’s page also lists voice commands for selecting, formatting and editing text, such as “select paragraph”, “bold” and “insert table”, in English. Talkativ has no commands of that kind. Its Genius Mode, on Max, rewrites highlighted text from a plain instruction instead.
Google dictation app: Google voice typing and Talkativ side by side
| Google Docs voice typing | Talkativ | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Google Docs, and speaker notes and captions in Google Slides | Any app where you can type |
| Cost | Not mentioned on Google’s page | Free plan of 2,200 words a week. Pro $7 a month or $56 a year. Max $11 a month or $88 a year |
| Voice commands | English only: punctuation, selecting, formatting and editing | Genius Mode (Max) rewrites highlighted text |
| Internet | Not stated on Google’s page | Needed |
| Computers | Any computer with Chrome, Edge or Safari (latest) | Windows 10 and 11. Mac too |
Google’s side of the table is as of 5 November 2026, from Google’s help page. Check that your browser is on its list.
When Google voice typing is the better choice
Stay with Google if:
- you write almost only in Google Docs
- you want to select, format and edit by voice command, such as “bold” or “select paragraph”
- you use a computer that Talkativ does not run on, such as Linux
- you want nothing to install
Dictate in any app with Talkativ
Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac in any text box, talk, and press again. Your words land at the cursor with punctuation and capital letters already in place. It works in Gmail, Slack, Teams, Word, Notion, a browser or a code editor, and in Google Docs too. Read about Talkativ on Windows and Talkativ on Mac.
On a Mac, you can download it today.
What Talkativ adds
- One tool for every app. No switching between a voice tool for Docs and another for email.
- Vocabulary on every plan. Add names and jargon once and Talkativ spells them your way.
- A searchable history. Every dictation is saved, so you can find or reuse it later.
- Filler-word clean-up by default. The “ums” are taken out.
- Advanced formatting, on every plan. Switch it on in Settings for numbered lists, money amounts, email addresses and times.
- Genius Mode and Smart Edits on Max. Highlight text, press Ctrl + D on Windows, ⌥ Option + D on a Mac and say what you want. Smart Edits has 31 writing styles.
- 100 languages, highly accurate in 56.
- No voice training, and a trial. 7 days of Max, no card.
How Talkativ works
- Click into any text box, in any app or website.
- Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac, or click the small mic dot on your screen.
- Talk the way you normally would. You do not need to say “comma” or “full stop”.
- Press again to stop. Your words appear where your cursor is, moments later.
It is press to start and press to stop, not hold to talk. The dot is red while it listens, blue while it works on your words, and green when they have landed.
Who should not choose Talkativ
If you live in Google Docs, like saying punctuation out loud, and never need another app, Google voice typing is built for that. Talkativ is also the wrong pick if you need to dictate offline, or want dictation on a phone, since there is no phone app.
Which one fits you
- A student writing essays in Google Docs. Google voice typing may be plenty. Try it first.
- Someone who answers email, chat and documents all day. One shortcut that works everywhere saves you changing tools, so Talkativ is worth a trial.
- A writer who likes saying punctuation. Use Google’s voice typing inside Docs, and Talkativ everywhere else. They do not get in each other’s way.
- Someone who drafts in Word. Google’s page names only Docs and Slides. Word has its own Dictate button for Microsoft 365 subscribers (see Windows voice typing compared), and Talkativ types into Word too.
Turn on voice typing, or try the alternative
If you want the Google route, Google’s help page shows how to turn it on. To try the alternative, use the free plan for a week on the work you really do. See the plans and prices, or return to the Talkativ home page.