Dictate in any app · Code

Voice typing in WebStorm

Front-end work generates constant explanation — of components, of decisions, of trade-offs. Typally types what you say straight into WebStorm — hold a key, talk, let go — so you can dictate anywhere WebStorm lets you type.

We make Typally, so treat this as a vendor's guide. Where WebStorm has a built-in option we say so, including when it is the better choice.
Dictate into WebStorm Free on Windows and macOS. No payment details needed to start.
Try Typally free

In short

  • WebStorm's own dictation: None built in for dictation.
  • What Typally does instead: covers WebStorm and every other program on the machine with one hotkey.
  • Best used for: component documentation

Does WebStorm have built-in dictation?

None built in for dictation.

Why dictate in WebStorm at all?

Component libraries live or die on their documentation. A component with no notes on when to use it gets reimplemented by the next developer, which is how design systems fragment.

In practice people use it for: Component documentation, JSDoc comments, commit messages, pull request descriptions, and prompts to an AI assistant.

How to dictate in WebStorm

Setup happens once, outside WebStorm, and then applies to every program on the machine:

1

Install Typally

Windows or macOS, then sign in. No card for the free tier.

2

Click into the right box in WebStorm first

Text goes wherever WebStorm has focus. One click first saves undoing a paragraph in the wrong box.

3

Hold the hotkey and talk

Say the whole thought, then let go. No time limit.

4

Read it before you move on

WebStorm's JSX auto-closing and emmet expansion react to inserted characters, so dictating inside markup produces surprises.

What Typally adds in WebStorm

Typally types into JSDoc comments, the commit dialog and pull request descriptions, with custom vocabulary handling component and library names. Documenting when not to use a component is the sentence that prevents duplicates, and it is always the one missing. Keep dictation out of JSX, where auto-closing reacts to every character.

What this looks like in practice

A developer adds a modal component and dictates three lines about when to use it, when to use the drawer instead, and the accessibility constraint that drove the markup. The next two features use it correctly without asking.

One habit that makes it work better

Document when not to use a component, not just what it does. That sentence is the one that prevents duplicates, and it is always the one missing.

What to watch out for in WebStorm

WebStorm's JSX auto-closing and emmet expansion react to inserted characters, so dictating inside markup produces surprises.

Frequently asked questions

Can I dictate JSX or HTML?

Not comfortably — markup is symbol-dense. Comments and docs are where dictation helps.

Does dictation work in WebStorm's commit window?

Yes, and it is a good place for it.

Is this different from IntelliJ?

No. Same platform, same behaviour.

Try it in WebStorm

Start on the free plan (100 minutes a month, no card). Pro lifts the cap and adds meeting notes for $7.99/month.

Try Typally free

Also dictate in: IntelliJ IDEA · VS Code · Figma · see all apps