How to dictate emails in Gmail and Outlook with your voice

Gmail: no dictation on the computer

In Gmail, in the browser, there's no microphone to dictate an email. You have two options: your computer's dictation or a dictation app. (On your phone, the keyboard's microphone does dictate in Gmail.)

Option 1: your computer's dictation

It works in Gmail, in Outlook and in any app.

• On Windows: click in the body of the email and press Windows + H. It needs the internet. How to use Windows voice typing.
• On a Mac: turn on dictation in Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation and use your shortcut with the cursor in the email. How to use Mac dictation.

Both type almost word for word: the "um"s and "uh"s end up in the email.

Option 2: Outlook's Dictate button

Outlook for Microsoft 365 has its own dictation.

1. Start a new email or a reply.
2. On the Message tab, click Dictate.
3. Wait for the button to turn on and talk. You can dictate punctuation by saying "comma" or "period".

It's only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers, with an internet connection. According to Microsoft, the service doesn't store your audio or the transcribed text.

Option 3: Loro, in Gmail, Outlook or wherever you write

1. Download Loro for free for Windows or Mac.
2. Click where the email text goes.
3. Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) and talk the way you talk.
4. Let go. The email appears.

An example. You say: "hi professor, um, I wanted to ask whether the history homework is due Monday or Tuesday, like, because I wasn't sure, thanks a lot". Loro types in Gmail: "Hi Professor, I wanted to ask whether the history homework is due Monday or Tuesday, because I wasn't sure. Thanks a lot!".

Reply without dictating it all. With Loro Pro, hold Ctrl + Alt and ask for what you want to write: "reply to this email" or "tell her yes, but on Thursday". Loro looks at your screen and writes the reply the way you would, where your cursor is. It needs the internet and the screenshot isn't stored.

Tips for dictating emails

• Talk as if you were telling the person. Don't say the commas: Loro adds them.
• Say the greeting and the sign-off, just like you'd write them.
• Add your clients' and company's names to your dictionary: Loro spells them right from then on.
• If it came out long, select it and, with Pro, hold Ctrl + Win and say "make it shorter" or "more formal".

The options, compared

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Frequently asked questions

Does Gmail have voice dictation?›

Not on the computer: Gmail in the browser has no dictation button. You can use Windows voice typing (Windows + H), Mac dictation or Loro. On your phone, the keyboard's microphone does dictate.

How do I dictate an email in Outlook?›

In Outlook for Microsoft 365, while writing an email, go to the Message tab and click Dictate. Windows + H and Loro also work, without Microsoft 365.

Can I dictate in Outlook without Microsoft 365?›

The Dictate button is only for Microsoft 365 subscribers. Without a subscription, you can dictate in Outlook with Windows + H or with Loro.

Can Loro write the reply for me?›

Yes, with Pro: hold Ctrl + Alt and ask "reply to this email". Loro looks at your screen and writes the reply the way you write. It needs the internet.

Does it work in Outlook for Mac?›

Yes. Loro works in Outlook, Gmail or Apple Mail on a Mac: hold fn and talk.

Sources

• Microsoft, Dictate your emails in Outlook, checked on October 13, 2026.
• Microsoft, voice typing in Windows. Apple, dictation on Mac.