Gmail Voice Dictation

Does Gmail have built-in voice dictation?

Not on desktop. Google's voice typing is scoped to Docs and Slides; the Gmail compose window has no microphone at all. On your phone you can tap the mic on the keyboard, but that is iOS or Android doing the work rather than Gmail. So the usual desktop options are a Chrome extension, macOS Dictation, or Windows voice typing. Aqua is the same idea done properly: it works in Gmail, and in every other app on the machine, it reads the thread you are replying to so the tone matches, and it keeps names and company terms right through a custom dictionary.

How to dictate in Gmail with Aqua

1. Download Aqua for Mac or Windows and grant microphone access, plus Accessibility access on macOS.
2. Pick your hold-to-talk key in Aqua's settings.
3. Open Gmail and hit Compose, or open a thread and click Reply.
4. Hold your key and talk through the reply the way you would say it out loud. Release, and it lands in the body formatted.
5. Add client names, colleague names, and product terms to your custom dictionary so they come out right the first time.

Tips for dictating in Gmail

• Talk through the whole reply before editing. The draft you get from one continuous pass is usually closer to sendable than a stop-start one.
• Aqua reads the thread above your reply, so a client email comes out more formal than an internal one without you asking.
• Dictate the subject line too. It is a text field like any other.
• For anything with a number in it, an invoice, a date, a headcount, read it back before you send. Numbers are where dictation earns a second look.

What you get

97.3% accuracy on AISpeak, SOC 2 Type II, and 49 languages, on Mac, Windows, and iPhone. Start free with 1,000 lifetime words. Pro is $8 a month billed annually.

Frequently asked questions

Does Gmail have built-in voice typing?

Not on desktop. Google's voice typing feature covers Docs and Slides, and the Gmail compose window has no microphone. Mobile uses your phone keyboard's mic, which is the operating system rather than Gmail.

Does Aqua need a Chrome extension?

No. Aqua is a desktop app that types into whatever field has focus, so it works in Gmail in any browser, and in the Gmail app on iPhone.

Will my replies sound formal or casual?

Aqua reads the thread you are replying to and matches it: professional for client correspondence, direct for internal threads.

Does it work on Windows?

Yes. Aqua runs on Mac, Windows, and iPhone. There is no Android app.

How much does it cost?

Starter is free with 1,000 lifetime words. Pro is $8 a month billed annually, and Team is $12 a month billed annually.