Google Docs has a free dictation tool built in, and it is better than most people expect. It handles punctuation, formatting, tables, and navigation entirely by voice, in well over 100 languages and accents. This guide covers how to use Google Docs voice typing from start to finish: turning it on, the keyboard shortcut, the full set of voice commands, what to do when it won't work, and when a system-wide dictation app is the better fit.
The short answer: to use voice typing in Google Docs, open a document in Chrome, Edge, or Safari on your computer, click Tools, then Voice typing. A microphone box appears. Click the microphone, allow access if your browser asks, and speak. Say "period" or "new paragraph" for punctuation, and click the microphone again to stop.
The steps below follow Google's own help article, Type & edit with your voice, and its keyboard shortcuts list, as they read at the time of writing.
What you need before you start
- A computer and a supported browser. Google lists the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, and Safari. Firefox is not on the list, which is the most common reason the option seems to be missing.
- A working microphone. The built-in mic on a laptop is fine in a quiet room. A headset helps in a noisy one.
- Voice typing enabled for your account. On a work or school account, an administrator can turn the feature off. If it is missing on a supported browser, that is the likely cause.
One detail worth knowing: Google says that when you turn on voice typing, your web browser controls the speech-to-text service, deciding how your speech is processed before the text is sent to Docs.
How to turn on voice typing in Google Docs
- Open a document in Google Docs in a supported browser.
- Click Tools, then Voice typing. A microphone box appears on the left of the page.
- If you dictate in a language other than your default, pick it from the language menu at the top of the microphone box.
- Click the microphone when you are ready to speak. The first time, your browser asks for permission to use the mic. Choose Allow.
- Speak clearly at a normal volume and pace. Words appear at your cursor as you talk.
- Click the microphone again when you are done, or say "stop listening."
The Google Docs voice typing shortcut
You can skip the menu. Google's shortcut for starting voice typing is:
- Windows and ChromeOS: Ctrl + Shift + S
- Mac: ⌘ + Shift + S
Google's shortcut list notes that this one is available in Chrome, so if it does nothing in another browser, use Tools, then Voice typing instead.
Voice typing in Google Slides
Slides has the same feature for speaker notes. Open a presentation, click Tools, then Dictate speaker notes, and click the microphone. Punctuation works there, but Google notes that voice commands for editing and formatting are not available in speaker notes.
Punctuation commands
Docs does not add punctuation for you. You speak it. These are the commands Google lists:
Say | You get |
|---|---|
"Period" | . |
"Comma" | , |
"Exclamation point" | ! |
"Question mark" | ? |
"New line" | a line break |
"New paragraph" | a new paragraph |
Google notes that punctuation might not be available in every language, so if you dictate in something other than English, test these before relying on them.
Google Docs voice commands for editing and formatting
Beyond punctuation, voice typing understands a long list of commands. There is one important condition: voice commands work only in English, and both your Google account language and the document language must be set to English. If commands are being typed out as words, check those two settings first.
Pause briefly before and after each command. The words may flash in the document for a moment before Docs acts on them.
Select text
- "Select all"
- "Select [word or phrase]"
- "Select paragraph," "Select line," "Select word"
- "Select next 3 words," "Select last 2 lines" (any number works)
- "Deselect" or "Select none"
Format text
- "Bold," "Italics," "Underline," "Strikethrough"
- "Apply heading 1" through "Apply heading 6," "Apply normal text," "Apply title"
- "Uppercase," "Lowercase," "Title case"
- "Text color red," "Highlight yellow"
- "Increase font size," "Font size 14"
- "Align center," "Align left," "Line spacing double"
- "Create bulleted list," "Create numbered list"
- "Clear formatting," "Remove bold"
Edit the document
- "Copy," "Cut," "Paste"
- "Delete" (removes the word before the cursor), "Delete last word," "Delete [word or phrase]"
- "Insert link," then say the URL
- "Insert comment," then say your comment
- "Insert page break," "Insert footnote," "Insert table of contents"
- "Undo" (useful when Docs mishears a command)
Tables
- "Insert table 3 rows by 4 columns"
- "Insert new row below," "Insert new column on the left"
- "Delete row," "Delete table," "Exit table"
Move around
- "Go to the end of the paragraph," "Go to start of document"
- "Go to next heading," "Go to next misspelling"
- "Scroll down," "Scroll up"
Stop and resume
- "Stop listening" turns the microphone off.
- "Resume" moves the cursor to the end of the paragraph and starts again.
- "Resume with [word or phrase]" puts the cursor after that phrase and continues.
Lost? Say "voice commands list" and Docs shows the full list inside the document.
Fixing mistakes as you go
You do not have to stop dictating to fix an error. Click on the mistake, correct it with your keyboard, then click back where you want to continue. Docs may also underline some voice-typed words in gray: right-click one to see suggested alternatives.
Google Docs voice typing not working? Fixes to try
Work through these in order. Most problems are the browser or the microphone, not Docs.
The Voice typing option is missing or grayed out. Check your browser first. Firefox is not supported, so open the document in Chrome, Edge, or Safari. On a work or school account, an administrator may have turned the feature off, so ask them. Also make sure you are in Docs on a computer: the Docs mobile apps do not have the Tools menu option (see the phone section below).
The microphone icon won't turn on. Your browser may have blocked microphone access for Docs. Click the site settings icon at the left of the address bar, find Microphone, and set it to Allow, then reload the page. If your browser already allows it, check the operating system: on a Mac, open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Microphone, and make sure your browser is switched on. On Windows 11, open Settings, then Privacy & security, then Microphone, and make sure desktop apps can use it.
"We're having trouble hearing you." Google's own fixes: move somewhere quieter, plug in an external microphone, and turn up the microphone's input volume in your system settings.
The microphone isn't working at all. Check that it is plugged in and not being used by another app, such as a video call that still has it open. Restarting your computer clears a stuck audio device more often than it should.
Commands are typed as text instead of carried out. Confirm your account and document language are both English, since commands only work in English. Then speak more slowly and pause before and after each command. Check the bubble next to the microphone, which shows the last command Docs heard. If it heard wrong, say "Undo."
The shortcut does nothing. Ctrl + Shift + S (⌘ + Shift + S on a Mac) is documented for Chrome. In another browser, start voice typing from the Tools menu.
Accuracy is poor. Use a headset or external mic, reduce background noise, and check that the language in the microphone box matches the language you are speaking. A mismatched language setting produces surprisingly bad results.
Voice typing in Google Docs on a phone
The Voice typing tool lives in Docs on the web, on a computer. In the Google Docs app on a phone, use your keyboard's built-in microphone instead: the mic key on Gboard on Android, or the dictation key on the iPhone keyboard. Tap into the document, tap the mic, and talk. You lose Docs' formatting commands this way, but punctuation by voice still works through the phone's own dictation.
Where Google Docs voice typing falls short
For a free tool, Docs voice typing is genuinely capable, and its language list is longer than most paid apps offer. Its limits come from where it lives:
- It only works inside Docs and Slides. The moment you switch to Gmail, Slack, a ticketing tool, or an AI chat window, you are back to typing. Most people's writing day is spread across many apps, not one.
- It is a mode you open. Each time, you go to Tools, open the microphone box, and click to start. That is fine for a long dictation session and awkward for a sentence here and there.
- Punctuation is spoken. You say "comma" and "period" as you go, which takes practice and breaks your train of thought.
- No custom vocabulary. There is no way to teach it your colleagues' names, product names, or field-specific terms, so the same words get misheard every time.
- Commands are English only, and only when the account and document language are English.
None of this makes it a bad tool. If you only ever dictate into Google Docs, in a supported browser, it may be all you need.
A system-wide alternative: Aqua Voice
Aqua Voice takes a different approach: instead of living inside one app, it works across your whole computer. You hold a key (Fn on a Mac by default), speak, and release, and the text lands wherever your cursor is. That includes Google Docs in any browser, and also the Gmail tab next to it, Slack, Word, and every other app where you type. See how Aqua works in Google Docs.
What that changes in practice:
- No menu, no mode. Dictate one sentence, type the next, dictate again, without toggling anything.
- Punctuation and formatting without saying it. Aqua adds punctuation and capitalization from how you speak, so you talk normally instead of saying "comma."
- Your words, spelled right. A custom dictionary holds names, jargon, and product terms, so they come out correctly every time.
- Fix it by voice. With Edit Mode, you select text, hold the same key, and say the change, such as "Fix the grammar" or "Make it shorter."
- Accuracy you can check. Aqua runs on Avalon, its own speech model, which debuted as the #1 proprietary model on the OpenASR leaderboard in October 2025 (it sits at #6 overall today). In a 9to5Mac head-to-head on the same passage, Apple Dictation made 17 errors and Aqua made 1. On Aqua's own AISpeak benchmark (self-reported), Avalon scores 97.3% accuracy. Developers can use the same model through the Avalon API.
- Fast. Final text arrives in about 450ms, and you can dictate at up to 230 words per minute.
Aqua runs on Mac, Windows, and iPhone, and supports 49 languages. If you need a language outside that list, Google Docs voice typing may cover it. The free plan includes 1,000 words, and Pro is $8/mo billed annually.
For a wider look at your options, see our roundup of the best dictation software. On a Mac, our guide on how to use dictation on Mac covers Apple's built-in tool, and Windows users can compare picks in the best AI dictation apps for Windows.
FAQ
How do I turn on voice typing in Google Docs?
Open a document in Chrome, Edge, or Safari on a computer, click Tools, then Voice typing, and click the microphone. In Chrome you can also press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or ⌘ + Shift + S on a Mac.
Why is voice typing not showing in Google Docs?
Usually because the browser is not supported (Firefox is not on Google's list), you are in the mobile app, or an administrator turned the feature off for your work or school account. Try Chrome, Edge, or Safari on a computer.
Is Google Docs voice typing free?
Yes. Voice typing is included with Google Docs at no extra cost.
Does Google Docs voice typing add punctuation automatically?
No. You say punctuation out loud, such as "period," "comma," "question mark," or "new paragraph." Dictation apps like Aqua Voice add punctuation from how you speak instead.
