Dictate in any app · Chat

Voice typing in Microsoft Teams

Teams captions meetings but does nothing for the message box, where most of the typing happens. Hold a key and talk: Typally transcribes and types it into Microsoft Teams without you touching the keyboard.

We make Typally, so treat this as a vendor's guide. Where Microsoft Teams has a built-in option we say so, including when it is the better choice.
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In short

  • Microsoft Teams's own dictation: Live captions and meeting transcription, both aimed at spoken meetings.
  • What Typally does instead: puts text wherever the cursor is, in Microsoft Teams or in anything else you have open.
  • Best used for: channel posts

Does Microsoft Teams have built-in dictation?

Live captions and meeting transcription, both aimed at spoken meetings. The chat compose box has no dictation of its own.

Why dictate in Microsoft Teams at all?

Teams chat carries the same load as Slack in a lot of companies, and it is where long explanations get shortened into something unhelpful because the person is between meetings.

In practice people use it for: Channel posts, replies in a thread, DMs, and the status update written between two calls.

How to dictate in Microsoft Teams

Typally runs in the background and types into whatever window has focus, so there is nothing to install inside Microsoft Teams:

1

Download and sign in

Grab the build for your platform and create an account.

2

Put the cursor in the Microsoft Teams field you are filling

Put the cursor in the field you are about to fill — Microsoft Teams decides where the text lands, not Typally.

3

Talk while holding the key

The recording lasts exactly as long as you do.

4

Read it before you move on

Enter sends in the compact composer. Anything that inserts a return will post a partial message.

What Typally adds in Microsoft Teams

Typally types into the Teams composer, which has no dictation of its own — Teams' speech features caption meetings rather than help you write. Open the expanded composer before dictating anything long, since Enter sends in the compact one. The same key works in the meeting chat, though mute yourself first.

What this looks like in practice

A manager between back-to-back calls owes the team a real answer about a deadline change. Rather than 'will explain later', she opens the expanded composer, talks for forty seconds, and posts three paragraphs the team can read without another meeting.

One habit that makes it work better

Use the Format button to open the expanded composer before dictating anything long. It stops Enter sending the message halfway through.

What to watch out for in Microsoft Teams

Enter sends in the compact composer. Anything that inserts a return will post a partial message.

Frequently asked questions

Does Teams have dictation for chat messages?

No. Its speech features are meeting captions and transcription, which do not write into the chat box.

Can I dictate into a Teams meeting chat?

Yes, with a system-level tool — but the meeting is already using your microphone, so mute yourself or use push-to-talk carefully.

Does this work in the Teams web app?

Yes. A browser tab is just another focused window.

Try it in Microsoft Teams

There is a permanent free tier of 100 minutes a month. Pro costs $7.99/month and raises the limit.

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Also dictate in: Slack · Google Chat · Zoom · see all apps