How to dictate in Slack
Slack has no built-in dictation — so today you lean on your operating system's voice typing. Here's how to do that, plus a faster, fully private way to dictate straight into Slack and every other app on your computer.
How to dictate in Slack today (OS dictation)
Because Slack has no dictation of its own, you use the voice typing built into your operating system. It works in the Slack message box the same way it works in any text field.
- 1Click into the Slack message box where you want to type.
- 2On a Mac, turn on Dictation in System Settings > Keyboard, then press your Dictation shortcut (Fn twice by default).
- 3On Windows 10 or 11, press the Windows key + H to open Voice Typing.
- 4Wait for the listening indicator to appear, then speak your message clearly.
- 5Say your punctuation out loud — for example 'comma', 'period', or 'new line' — since OS dictation won't add most of it for you.
- 6Stop dictation, review the text, and press Enter to send your message.
Where OS dictation falls short in Slack
Accuracy is hit or miss
Built-in dictation often stumbles on names, product terms, and technical jargon — exactly the words that fill work chat.
You narrate the punctuation
You have to say 'comma', 'period', and 'new line' out loud, and capitalization is inconsistent, so messages need cleanup.
It may go to the cloud
Windows Voice Typing sends your audio to Microsoft's servers, and behavior differs across Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Whisper: private voice typing in Slack — 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 — Slack, Gmail, your browser, Notion, anywhere. Your audio never leaves your machine.
| Feature | OS dictation | Whisper |
|---|---|---|
| Types into Slack | ||
| Types into every other app too | ||
| Automatic punctuation & capitalization | ||
| High-accuracy, GPU-accelerated model | ||
| Same hotkey on Mac, Windows & Linux | ||
| Audio always stays on your device |
One tool that works the same in every app, instead of patchy OS dictation. See the full privacy architecture for how the on-device model works.
Fast & automatic
GPU-accelerated transcription with automatic punctuation and capitalization. Speak naturally — no narrating commas.
Fully offline
No internet and no cloud. The speech model lives on your machine and runs there, so your Slack messages stay private.
Works in any app
Slack, Gmail, browsers, Notion, docs — one hotkey types your words wherever your cursor is. Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Dictating in Slack — FAQ
Does Slack have dictation?
No. Slack has no built-in dictation feature on desktop. To dictate a Slack message with your voice you rely on your operating system's dictation — macOS Dictation or Windows Voice Typing — or the microphone button on your phone's keyboard in the Slack mobile app. Whisper is a separate desktop app that adds fast, private dictation to Slack and every other program.
How do I dictate in Slack?
Click into the Slack message box, then start your operating system's dictation. On a Mac, turn on Dictation in System Settings > Keyboard and press the dictation shortcut. On Windows 10 or 11, press the Windows key + H to open Voice Typing. Speak your message, say punctuation out loud, then stop and send. For higher accuracy and automatic punctuation, press Whisper's hotkey instead and it types straight into the message box.
Does Slack dictation work offline?
It depends on the tool. macOS Dictation can run on-device for many languages, but Windows Voice Typing typically sends your audio to Microsoft's cloud. Slack itself does no transcription. Whisper is fully offline on every platform — the speech model runs entirely on your device, so your Slack messages are transcribed with no internet connection and nothing ever leaves your machine.
What is the best way to dictate in Slack?
If you only occasionally speak a short message, your OS dictation is fine. If you send a lot of Slack messages and want higher accuracy, automatic punctuation, and the same hotkey working in your email, browser, and docs too, Whisper is the better fit. You press one hotkey, speak, and it types at your cursor in Slack or anywhere else — Mac, Windows, or Linux.
Is dictating in Slack private?
With Windows Voice Typing your audio is sent to Microsoft's servers to be transcribed. With Whisper, nothing leaves your device — transcription runs locally, there are no subprocessors, and it works fully offline. For internal team chat, client details, or anything confidential in Slack, that difference matters.
Can I add punctuation automatically while dictating in Slack?
Not with OS dictation — it makes you speak most punctuation out loud ('comma', 'period', 'new line'). Whisper adds punctuation and capitalization automatically as you talk, so you can speak a Slack message naturally and get clean, formatted text without narrating the commas.
Dictate in other apps
One dictation tool for Slack and every other app
100% on-device, offline, with automatic punctuation. One-time price — no subscription and no cloud.
Get Whisper