How to dictate in Google Sheets with your voice (Windows and Mac)

The Loro team Updated October 15, 2026 4 min read

In short

Google Sheets has no voice typing: Google's only works in Docs and in Slides speaker notes. To dictate into a cell, use your computer's dictation (Windows + H on Windows, or Mac dictation) or an app like Loro: open the cell, hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac), talk and let go. It's best for notes, comments and descriptions; for numbers and formulas, the keyboard is still safer.

Sheets has no voice typing

Google's voice typing lives in two places: Docs (Tools › Voice typing) and Slides speaker notes (Tools › Dictate speaker notes). Sheets doesn't have it. You can still dictate: your computer's dictation and dictation apps type into any cell.

Option 1: Windows voice typing

Double-click the cell to type in it.
Press Windows + H and talk.
To stop, click the microphone on the voice typing bar.
Press Enter to save the cell.

It needs the internet. How to use Windows voice typing.

Good for: dictating in any app without installing anything. Missing: removing filler words. It types exactly what you say: if you said "um", it types it, and if you corrected yourself mid-sentence, both versions stay.

Option 2: Mac dictation

Turn on dictation in Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation.
Double-click the cell, press the Microphone key or your shortcut, and talk.
To stop, press the Microphone key or your shortcut again. Then press Enter to save the cell.

How to use Mac dictation.

Good for: dictating in any app without installing anything. Missing: removing filler words, same as Windows voice typing.

Option 3: Loro

Loro types what you said, minus the "um"s and the half-sentence you corrected.

Download Loro for free for Windows or Mac.
Double-click the cell where the text goes, or click in the formula bar.
Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) and talk.
Let go and press Enter to save the cell.

Loro has no special style for Sheets: it does the same clean-up as in any app.

For example, in an online store's product sheet, you say:

ceramic mug, 12 ounces, uh, microwave and dishwasher safe, um, comes in green and beige, no wait, green and gray

And Loro types in the cell:

Ceramic mug, 12 ounces, microwave and dishwasher safe. Comes in green and gray.

Good for: dictating in Sheets, Excel and any other app without filler words. Missing: it doesn't come installed (you have to download it), and self-corrections need the internet; offline, it still types and removes filler words. The free plan dictates 2,000 words a week.

What dictating in a spreadsheet is good for

Notes and comments on each row: orders, clients, sales follow-ups.
Product descriptions for your catalog or your store.
Remarks in inventories, logs or class lists.

One cell at a time. Open the cell, dictate, save. If what you dictate has line breaks, the paste can spill into several rows.

For figures, exact dates and formulas, use the keyboard. And if you work in Excel, see how to dictate in Excel.

The options, compared

	Windows voice typing	Mac dictation	Loro
Works in Google Sheets	Yes	Yes	Yes
How you use it	Windows + H	The Microphone key or your shortcut	Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac)
Offline	No	Depends on the language and the Mac	Yes; self-corrections need the internet
Removes "um" and "uh"	Only on Copilot+ PCs, in English	No	Yes
Understands self-corrections	No	No	Yes, online
Works in Excel too	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price	Free	Free	Free up to 2,000 words a week; Pro: USD 9.99 a month

Try Loro for free

Dictate in any app and get notes from your meetings, with no bot. For Windows and Mac, no card needed.

Download for free

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Sheets have voice typing?

No. In Sheets you can dictate with Windows + H, Mac dictation or Loro, which type into any cell.

Why can't I find Voice typing in Google Sheets?

Because that option is in the Tools menu of Google Docs, and Sheets doesn't have it. In Sheets, use your computer's dictation or Loro.

How do I dictate into a Google Sheets cell?

Double-click the cell and dictate with Windows + H, Mac dictation, or by holding Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) with Loro. Then press Enter.

Can I dictate numbers and formulas?

You can dictate a number, but for exact figures and formulas the keyboard is safer.

Does Loro work the same way in Excel?

Yes. In Excel you also dictate cell by cell. How to dictate in Excel.

Sources

Google, Type & edit with your voice, checked October 15, 2026.
Microsoft, Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC, checked October 15, 2026.
Apple, Dictate messages and documents on Mac, checked October 15, 2026.

Keep reading

Voice dictation Dictate in Excel Excel doesn't have the Dictate button that Word, Outlook and PowerPoint have. Here's how to dictate in Excel on Windows and Mac, cell by cell, with your computer's dictation or with Loro, with clean text.

Voice dictation Dictate in Google Docs How to use Google Docs voice typing: the menu, the shortcut, punctuation and its limits, and how to dictate in Docs and in any other app with clean text, on Windows and Mac.

Voice dictation Voice typing on Windows How to dictate with your voice on Windows 10 and 11 using Windows + H, how to add punctuation, what to do if it doesn't work, and when an app like Loro, which cleans up your text and works offline, is worth it.

Google Sheets, Windows and macOS are trademarks of their owners. Loro is not affiliated with them. Each app's details come from its official pages, checked on October 15, 2026.