To dictate in Google Docs, open the document in Chrome, Edge or Safari and go to Tools, Voice typing. A microphone appears: you click it, speak and the text is typed where the cursor is. In Chrome it also opens with Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows and ⌘ + Shift + S on a Mac. It is free and supports Spanish from Spain. This guide is about Docs on a computer.
How to turn on dictation in Google Docs, step by step
Google Docs dictation is called Voice typing and it is in the Tools menu of any document. There is nothing to install.
- Open the document in a supported browser. Google's help lists the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari.
- Click the point in the document where you want the text to start.
- Go to Tools, Voice typing. A microphone appears.
- Click the microphone and speak clearly, at a normal volume and pace.
- When you finish, click the microphone again.
The first time, the browser asks for permission to use the microphone. If you blocked it by mistake, in Chrome you allow it again from the site settings, as Chrome's help on the camera and microphone explains.
You don't need to stop to correct. You can move the cursor to a wrongly typed word, fix it and put the cursor back where you were, with the microphone still on. Words Docs is not sure about are underlined in grey, and right-clicking shows other options.
The keyboard shortcut
The official list of Google Docs keyboard shortcuts gives Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows and ⌘ + Shift + S on a Mac to start dictation, and marks it as available in Chrome. In Edge and Safari, go in through the Tools menu.
Which punctuation it understands in Spanish
In Spanish, Google Docs understands six punctuation commands; the commands for editing and formatting only work in English.
| You say | It types |
|---|---|
| «punto» (full stop) | . |
| «coma» (comma) | , |
| «signo de interrogación» (question mark) | ? |
| «signo de exclamación» (exclamation mark) | ! |
| «nueva línea» (new line) | line break |
| «nuevo párrafo» (new paragraph) | new paragraph |
These are the commands published in Google's help in Spanish, which at the same time warns that punctuation may not be available in every language. Try them in a blank document before dictating anything long. And notice what is missing: there is no documented command for the opening marks ¿ and ¡, nor for the colon or the semicolon, which appear in almost every paragraph of a legal filing. You will have to add those marks by hand when you go over it.
The commands for selecting text, applying italics, deleting or moving around the document («Select paragraph», «Italics», «Stop listening») are a separate feature. Google says they only work in English and that, in addition, the account language and the document language have to be English. In a document in Spanish, expect to dictate text and punctuation, nothing more.
Where it works and where it doesn't
Voice typing works in Google Docs and in Slides speaker notes, from the computer's browser.
- Browsers: Chrome, Edge and Safari. Firefox is not on the list in Google's help.
- Languages: Spanish from Spain and some twenty variants from other countries, as well as Catalan, Basque and Galician. Check that the language chosen is Español (España) before you start.
- Slides: in Tools, Voice type speaker notes. There are no voice commands there.
- Sheets: Google's accessibility page only mentions voice typing in Docs and Slides. To dictate in a spreadsheet, use the system dictation: Win+H on Windows, which we explain in voice typing in Windows 11, or the Mac's, in how to turn on dictation on a Mac.
- Mobile: Google's help describes Voice typing for the computer. On the phone, the documented route is the keyboard's microphone: in Gboard you tap it and dictate almost anywhere you can type with the keyboard.
- Work accounts: if you use Docs with the firm's account, the administrator may have turned the feature off for the whole organisation. Google mentions this explicitly.
Why Google Docs voice typing isn't working
If the microphone doesn't appear, or appears but doesn't type, check this in order:
- The browser isn't supported. Open the document in Chrome, Edge or Safari.
- The browser doesn't have permission to use the microphone. Allow it again in the site settings.
- The computer's microphone is turned off or another app is using it. Close any video call you have open and check the microphone in Windows Settings or in System Settings on the Mac. If it still doesn't work, restart the computer.
- It misunderstands you. Google recommends a quiet place, an external microphone and adjusting the input volume. The laptop's microphone, half a metre away, is the most common cause of errors; we cover it in which microphone to choose for dictation.
- The option isn't in the menu. With a work account, the administrator may have turned it off.
- Commands are typed as text. That is to be expected in Spanish: they only work in English.
Where it falls short at a law firm
Voice typing is free and for a note or a short draft it does the job. In a long professional text, three problems appear. Punctuation is only half there: you have to say each mark, and the opening marks, the colon and the semicolon are missing. Proper names and acronyms come out wrong again and again, because there is no dictionary to teach them to it. And it only works inside Docs: email, Word or the firm's case management software need another tool. If you work in Word, the equivalent is Microsoft 365's Dictate button, which we explain in how to dictate in Word.
There is one last detail if you dictate about client matters. Google explains that, when you use Voice typing, it is the browser that handles the transcription service and decides how the voice is processed before sending the text to Docs. What to ask any tool before using it with client information, we explain in client confidentiality and the GDPR when using AI in a law firm.
With ablalo you can also dictate in Google Docs, because it works on top of any program, browser included, with a single shortcut. Your voice is transcribed on your own computer, it punctuates Spanish without you saying the marks, removes filler words and recognises more than 30,000 Spanish legal terms out of the box, with your own dictionary for the names of the parties and the firm's acronyms.
In short
To dictate in Google Docs, open the document in Chrome, Edge or Safari, go to Tools, Voice typing and click the microphone; in Chrome, the shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + S (⌘ + Shift + S on a Mac). In Spanish it understands «punto», «coma», «signo de interrogación», «signo de exclamación», «nueva línea» and «nuevo párrafo»; the editing commands only work in English. If it doesn't work, check the browser, the microphone permission and whether your organisation has turned it off.
Sources: Google, Type and edit with your voice, Keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs, Accessibility in Google editors, Use your camera and microphone in Chrome and Type with your voice in Gboard. Checked on 20 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on voice typing in Google Docs?
Open the document in Chrome, Edge or Safari, go to Tools, Voice typing and click the microphone that appears. To finish, click the microphone again.
What is the shortcut for dictating in Google Docs?
In Chrome, Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows and ⌘ + Shift + S on a Mac. In Edge and Safari you open it from the Tools menu.
Does Google Docs voice typing work in Firefox?
Firefox is not among the supported browsers in Google's help, which lists Chrome, Edge and Safari. In Firefox you can dictate with the system dictation: Win+H on Windows or Dictation on a Mac.
Can I dictate in Google Docs from my phone?
Docs voice typing is documented for the computer. On a phone you dictate with the keyboard's microphone, for example Gboard's, which works in almost any text field.
Why doesn't Voice typing appear in Google Docs?
The most common reasons are that the browser isn't supported or that you are using a work account where the administrator has turned the feature off. Try Chrome, Edge or Safari, or ask the administrator.
Do Google Docs voice commands work in Spanish?
Only basic punctuation, such as «punto», «coma» or «nuevo párrafo». The commands for editing and formatting only work in English, with the account and the document in English.