Runs in your browser

Voice

Speak instead of typing, and have replies read aloud. Recognition and speech use your browser's own APIs.

Where the audio goes

Audio path

Speaking

  1. You speak In place of typing the message.
  2. Your browser handles it Recognition is the browser's own API.
Chrome, Edge

Send the audio to Google to be recognised.

Off your machine

Firefox, Safari

No recognition at all. The interface says so.

Path ends

Listening

  1. A reply arrives The answer, as text.
  2. Your browser reads it aloud Speech is the browser's own API too.

Dashed rail: the audio leaves your machine

This server

No audio reaches this server. There is no third-party voice key here, and nothing is billed for voice.

What this does not mean

Audio never reaching this server is not the same as audio staying on your machine.

Chrome and Edge send it to Google to be recognised, which is the honest cost of this path. Firefox and Safari have no recognition at all, and the interface says so rather than failing quietly.

Settings

Voice is switched on for new accounts, and an administrator can withdraw it from an account. Under Settings, Voice you choose how recording starts, either when you speak or while you hold the button, how long the pause before sending is (at least 800 ms), the recognition language such as de-CH or en-US, and whether replies are read aloud. Replies are spoken once they are complete.