Key Points:
- Google broadens voice typing in Docs to Safari and Edge, enhancing accessibility.
- Voice commands facilitate comprehensive document editing and formatting.
- Voice typing and captions are now available across all user accounts, including personal and Workspace subscribers.
Google is enhancing the accessibility of its voice typing feature in Google Docs by extending support to Safari and Microsoft Edge, beyond its previous availability exclusively on desktop Chrome. This expansion is part of Google’s ongoing effort to foster more inclusive and accessible user interactions.
In Google Docs, users can now leverage voice typing to dictate and edit their documents seamlessly. By navigating to Tools > Voice typing, a floating microphone appears, ready to transcribe spoken words into text. Google advises users to speak clearly, maintaining a normal volume and pace for optimal accuracy.
Voice typing isn’t limited to simple dictation. With a range of voice commands, users can add punctuation, select text, format documents, and perform editing tasks such as cutting, copying, and pasting. Furthermore, users can navigate their documents and insert tables using just their voice. Importantly, any mistakes made during dictation can be corrected without needing to disable the microphone; simply move the cursor to the error and make the necessary adjustments.
In Google Slides, this feature extends to adding speaker notes via voice typing. Additionally, automatic captions during presentations will now be accessible on more browsers, ensuring broader usability. Once voice typing and captions are enabled, the browser manages the speech-to-text service, processes the speech, and sends the text data to Google Docs and Google Slides.
This enhancement is available to all users, including Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and those with personal Google accounts, reflecting Google’s commitment to making its tools more inclusive and user-friendly.
