How to dictate in Outlook
Outlook has a built-in Dictate button — but it needs the internet and sends your voice to the cloud. Here's how to use it, plus a faster, fully private way to do voice-to-text in Outlook and every other app on your computer.
Using Outlook's built-in Dictate button
Available in Microsoft 365 versions of Outlook (Windows, Mac, and the web). You'll need to be signed in with a Microsoft account and connected to the internet.
- 1Start a new email, or open a message and click Reply or Forward.
- 2Click into the body of the message where you want the text to appear.
- 3Go to the Message tab and find the Dictate button (a microphone icon) in the ribbon.
- 4Click Dictate and allow microphone access the first time you're asked.
- 5Wait for the button to show it's listening, then speak clearly.
- 6Say your punctuation out loud, then click Dictate again to stop.
Where Outlook's dictation falls short
It runs in the cloud
Your audio is uploaded to Microsoft's servers to be transcribed. For confidential or regulated email, that's a real exposure.
It needs the internet
No connection means no dictation. It also requires a Microsoft account and a current Microsoft 365 subscription.
It only works in Outlook
Switch to Word, Gmail, your browser, or Slack and you lose it. You'd need a different dictation tool for every other app.
Whisper: private voice-to-text in Outlook — and everywhere else
Whisper is a desktop dictation app that runs the speech model 100% on your own device. Press a hotkey, speak, and it types at your cursor in whatever app you're in — Outlook, Word, Gmail, your browser, Slack, anywhere. Your audio never leaves your machine.
| Feature | Outlook Dictate | Whisper |
|---|---|---|
| Works offline / no internet | ||
| Audio stays on your device | ||
| Works in Outlook | ||
| Works in every other app too | ||
| Automatic punctuation | ||
| No Microsoft account required | ||
| One-time price (no subscription) |
One tool instead of a different cloud dictation feature per app. See the full privacy architecture for how the on-device model keeps your email off the cloud.
Fast & automatic
GPU-accelerated transcription with automatic punctuation and capitalization. Speak naturally — no narrating commas.
Fully offline
No internet, no Microsoft account, no subscription. The speech model lives on your machine and runs there.
Works in any app
Outlook, Word, Gmail, browsers, Slack — one hotkey types your words wherever your cursor is. Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Dictating in Outlook — FAQ
Does Outlook have dictation?
Yes. Microsoft 365 versions of Outlook include a Dictate button on the Message tab when you compose or reply to an email. It turns your speech into text, but it requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account because your audio is sent to Microsoft's cloud to be transcribed. Older, non-subscription versions of Outlook do not include it.
How do I turn on dictation in Outlook?
Start a new email or reply, go to the Message tab, and click the Dictate button (the microphone icon) in the ribbon. Allow microphone access the first time, wait for it to show it's listening, then speak. Outlook types the words at your cursor. Say punctuation out loud (for example 'comma' or 'new line'). Click the button again to stop.
Does Outlook dictation work offline?
No. Outlook's built-in Dictate feature needs an internet connection because the transcription happens in Microsoft's cloud, not on your computer. If you lose connection, dictation stops. Whisper is the offline alternative — it runs the speech model entirely on your device, so it keeps working with no internet at all.
What is the best way to dictate in Outlook?
If you live in Outlook and are comfortable sending audio to the cloud, the built-in Dictate button works. If you want dictation that also works in Word, Gmail, your browser, and Slack — and that keeps your audio on your machine — Whisper is the better fit. You press a hotkey, speak, and it types at your cursor in Outlook or anywhere else.
Is dictating in Outlook private?
With Outlook's own Dictate feature, your audio leaves your computer and is processed on Microsoft's servers. With Whisper, nothing leaves your device — transcription runs locally, there are no subprocessors, and it works fully offline. For confidential or regulated email, that difference matters.
Can I dictate the subject line and replies in Outlook?
Whisper types wherever your cursor is, so it works for new messages, replies, forwards, and the subject line in Outlook. The same hotkey also works in Word, Gmail, your browser, and Slack, so you learn one flow for every app.
Dictate in other apps
One dictation tool for Outlook and every other app
100% on-device, offline, with automatic punctuation. One-time price — no subscription, no Microsoft account required.
Get Whisper