Slack Voice Dictation

Does Slack have built-in voice dictation?

No, and the microphone button is the reason people think otherwise. That button records an audio clip, a voice memo your teammates have to play. Slack can attach a transcript to the clip afterwards, but there is no composer that types your speech into the message box. On mobile you can tap the mic on your phone keyboard, which is your operating system doing the work, not Slack. On desktop there is nothing. Aqua fills that gap: you hold a key, speak, and text appears in the box, so what your team reads is a message rather than a two-minute recording they have to listen to.

How to dictate in Slack with Aqua

1. Download Aqua for Mac or Windows and grant microphone access. On macOS you will also be asked for Accessibility access, which is what lets Aqua type into the focused field.
2. Pick your hold-to-talk key in Aqua's settings.
3. Click into any Slack message box: a channel, a thread, a DM, or a canvas.
4. Hold your key, say your update, and release. The text appears formatted and ready to send.
5. Add teammate names, channel names, project codenames, and your team's internal shorthand to your custom dictionary.

Tips for dictating in Slack

• Say the structure out loud. "Three updates, one blocker" gives Aqua something to format against, and gives your channel something skimmable.
• Aqua reads the context on your screen, so it pitches a channel update tighter than a DM without you switching any settings.
• Put people's names in your custom dictionary. Nothing undermines a fast update like a mangled colleague.
• For a long thread reply, speak the whole thing in one pass and edit after. Stopping to fix a word mid-thought costs more than the fix is worth.

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 Slack have built-in voice dictation?

No. The microphone button records an audio clip, which Slack can transcribe after the fact. There is no dictation composer that types your speech into the message box on desktop.

Does Aqua work in threads, DMs, and canvases?

Yes. Aqua types into whatever field has focus, so the same key works in channels, threads, DMs, canvases, and the search box.

Will it match my tone in a channel versus a DM?

Aqua reads the context on your screen and adjusts, so channel updates come out concise and DMs stay conversational.

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.