Outlook has its own Dictate button. Gmail, as far as we could find, does not have one on a computer. This guide covers Windows and Mac computers; it does not give phone steps.
How to dictate in Outlook
- Sign in to Microsoft 365 on a computer with a microphone.
- Start a new email, or reply to a message.
- Click into the body of the message.
- Go to the Message tab and select Dictate. On Outlook for Mac, use Message, then Dictate.
- Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening, then talk.
Microsoft’s page, Dictate your emails in Outlook (read 6 November 2026), says Dictate needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, a reliable internet connection and a microphone. It lists 15 fully supported languages and the same steps for Outlook on the web. It also lists keyboard shortcuts: Alt + ` (the backtick key) to resume dictation in new Outlook, and Option + F1 to start it in Outlook for Mac. For the same feature in Word, see dictating in Microsoft Word.
How to dictate in Gmail
We did not find a Google help page that describes dictating into Gmail on a computer, so we do not describe a Gmail button. Two routes can work:
- Your computer’s own voice typing. Microsoft says Windows voice typing (Windows key + H) works with your cursor in a text box, and needs the internet. Apple says Mac Dictation lets you speak anywhere you can type. Click into the Gmail message box first, then start it.
- A dictation app. Talkativ types wherever your cursor is, so it works in Gmail in any browser.
If you were looking for a dictation Chrome extension for Gmail, a desktop app is another route: nothing is added to the browser, and the same shortcut works outside it too.
Dictate an email with Talkativ
Click into the message box in Gmail or Outlook. Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac, say the email, and press again to stop. Your words appear at the cursor. It runs on Windows and Mac. How to use Talkativ shows each step.
Here is an illustration of what the default clean-up does. We wrote it to show the idea; it is not a recorded result, and real results vary.
| What you say | What lands in the box |
|---|---|
| “hi Priya um thanks for the call yesterday I have attached the draft and I would like your thoughts by Friday thanks Tom” | Hi Priya, thanks for the call yesterday. I have attached the draft and I would like your thoughts by Friday. Thanks, Tom |
Punctuation, capital letters and taking out “ums” come by default. Email addresses, links, times and money amounts need Advanced formatting switched on in Settings. It is on every plan, including Free, and adds a second or two in our tests. Talkativ does not promise paragraph breaks, so you may want to add a line break after the greeting yourself.
On Max, you can highlight a draft, press Ctrl + D on Windows, ⌥ Option + D on a Mac and say “make this more professional” (Genius Mode). Smart Edits, also on Max, has an Email style with a choice of tone.
Tips for dictating a good email
- Say who it is to and what you want in the first sentence. The rest of the email then follows from that.
- Say your sign-off at the end, such as “thanks” and your name, so it is there when you press send.
- Read the email once before sending. Dictation can mishear names, so check them, and check any figures.
- For a long email, dictate it in short stretches. Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac to stop between thoughts, then start again.
- Add names you use often to Talkativ’s Vocabulary so they come out spelt your way.
When a dictation app is worth it, and when Outlook’s is enough
If you only write email in Outlook and already pay for Microsoft 365, the Dictate button may be all you need. A dictation app earns its place when you answer email in Gmail and Outlook, then switch to chat and documents. One shortcut works in all of them; our guide to dictating in Teams and Slack covers chat.
Talkativ’s limits: it needs the internet, has no offline mode, cannot transcribe an audio file, has no phone app, and the shortcut is fixed. It is press to start and again to stop, not hold to talk. The Free plan gives 2,200 words a week with no card. See plans and prices.