How to voice type in Gmail and Chrome on Windows

Before you start

Google's voice typing help page covers Google Docs and the speaker notes and captions in Google Slides. Gmail is not on that page. On a Windows PC you can still dictate an email in Gmail. Here are three ways, each described from the maker's own help page, plus one with VoltType.

Source: Google Docs Editors Help, “Type & edit with your voice”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

1. Windows voice typing (Win+H)

This is built into Windows and types into any text box, including the Gmail compose window in Chrome.

1. Open Gmail in Chrome and click Compose.
2. Click in the message body (or the subject line).
3. Press Windows key + H and wait for “Listening…”.
4. Speak. Say “comma”, “period” or “new paragraph” for punctuation.
5. Say “stop listening”, or click the microphone in the voice typing menu, to stop.

Microsoft says voice typing needs an internet connection, a working microphone and your cursor in a text box. It uses online speech recognition, powered by Azure Speech services.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

The full list of words is in voice typing punctuation commands for Windows. If nothing happens when you press Win+H, see voice typing not working? 8 fixes.

2. Chrome's talk to type

Google describes a Chrome feature called talk to type, powered by Gemini, that turns speech into text in any text box in Chrome. According to Google:

• You must be signed in to Chrome, not in an Incognito window, and give Chrome access to your microphone.
• The first time, right-click in the text box and choose Talk to Type. After that, on Windows you can also press Ctrl + Space.
• Click Done, or press the shortcut again, to finish. Switching to another tab stops it listening.
• It cleans up speech and adds punctuation. Changing highlighted text by voice is not yet available in Google Workspace apps.
• You opt in the first time. Google says that when you use it, Chrome collects your voice recording, typed words and page details to help rewrite and polish your text.

Source: Google Chrome Help, “Use talk to type in Chrome”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

3. Dictate in Google Docs, then paste

If you prefer Google's own voice typing, write the email in a Google Doc first: open Tools > Voice typing, click the microphone and speak. Then copy the text into Gmail. Google says this works in the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari, and that your web browser controls the speech-to-text service. Voice commands, including punctuation commands, are available only in English.

Source: Google Docs Editors Help, “Type & edit with your voice”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

If Chrome cannot hear you

Talk to type and Google Docs need Chrome to have access to your microphone. Google's steps:

1. In Chrome, at the top right, select More > Settings.
2. Select Privacy and security > Site settings.
3. Under “Permissions”, select Microphone.
4. Pick the right microphone from the list, and check that the site is not under “Not allowed”.

On a work or school computer, your administrator may set these for you.

Source: Google Chrome Help, “Use your camera and microphone in Chrome”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

Win+H is a Windows feature, so it depends on Windows' microphone settings instead. Those are covered in our Win+H fixes.

VoltType in Gmail

VoltType types into the text box your cursor is in, so it works in the Gmail compose window too. Hold Ctrl + Space to talk, or press Ctrl + Shift + D to start and stop. Spoken commands like “comma” and “new paragraph” work there as well.

Tip: Chrome's talk to type also uses Ctrl + Space. If both are on, use VoltType's start/stop key (Ctrl + Shift + D) instead. You can change that key in VoltType's settings to Ctrl + Alt + D, Ctrl + Shift + Space, F9 or F10.

In the cloud, your voice is sent over the internet to be transcribed. On Pro, in Offline mode, your voice is transcribed on your PC. Plans are on the pricing page. For Outlook and Word, see how to dictate in Outlook and Word.

Sources

• Google Docs Editors Help, “Type & edit with your voice”: support.google.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Microsoft Support, “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”: support.microsoft.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Google Chrome Help, “Use talk to type in Chrome”: support.google.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Google Chrome Help, “Use your camera and microphone in Chrome”: support.google.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Does Gmail have its own voice typing on a computer?

Google’s voice typing help page covers Google Docs and Google Slides, not Gmail. On a Windows PC you can dictate into Gmail with Windows voice typing (Win+H), Chrome’s talk to type, or a dictation app.

Why does Win+H not type in Gmail?

Microsoft says voice typing needs an internet connection, a working microphone and your cursor in a text box. Click in the message body first, then press Windows key + H.

Is Chrome’s talk to type the same as Windows voice typing?

No. Talk to type is a Chrome feature from Google, started with right-click or Ctrl + Space. Windows voice typing is part of Windows, started with Windows key + H.