How to dictate prompts in Teams and Copilot Chat

How to dictate prompts for M365 Copilot in Teams

Whether you’re using Word 365, Outlook 365, PowerPoint 365, or the OneNote desktop app – all applications now include an integrated dictation feature for M365 Copilot. With the Windows 11 dictation tool, you can speak your prompts to Copilot in Teams or the Copilot app instead of typing them – saving time and making your interaction with AI far more intuitive.

Added value: Time savings      Scenario: Effective Prompting       Reading time: 4 minutes       Difficulty: Beginner 

Evaluation of the function

User-friendly
Very simple activation via keyboard shortcut. Easily accessible even for less tech-savvy 100%
Time-saving
Noticeable acceleration of workflow — speaking is usually faster than typing. 100%
Added value
Perfect for making Copilot even more intuitive to use, especially for longer or more complex prompts. 100%
Potential
Voice-based feedback would be a logical and valuable next step in development. 97%

How does the function perform?

  • Open the Copilot chat in Microsoft Teams or launch the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
  • Click into the text input field.
  • Press Windows + H to activate the Windows 11 dictation feature.
  • Now, speak your prompt for Copilot Pro and confirm with Enter.
  • Copilot Pro will then process your request automatically.

When the Windows 11 dictation feature starts, a visual indicator appears showing that the tool is active and listening.

We ask Copilot Pro to find a document that was shared earlier in the chat.

Prompt: “I’ve conducted several Copilot tests with Person A. Please find the test report on ‘Agents’ for me.”

Result: Copilot quickly locates the document and provides a direct link to open it. Wow — that was fast. Impressive.

We open the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on our device, click into the text field, and activate the dictation feature. Copilot Pro is supposed to help us draft a project communication based on a document already shared in the chat. Instead of typing, we dictate the task.

Prompt:
“soluzione42 Web QuickGuide (de).pdf — The attached soluzione42 Web Guide serves as the basis for a customer communication I need to prepare. Please analyze the document’s content and help me draft an announcement text to be published on my client’s intranet. The target audience are end users who should quickly grasp the key points of soluzione42 Web. The tone should be engaging and reflect modern learning. Please make a proposal.”

Result:
Copilot analyzed the document’s content and generated a well-structured, relevant draft. The structure is clear, and the key points from the QuickGuide were effectively condensed. We’re happy with the result — the greeting wasn’t necessary for our communication. We even completed the final edits using the Windows 11 dictation feature.

Dictated punctuation marks are either transcribed correctly or written out as words. In our first test, we didn’t pay much attention to this but still got a solid result. However, our product name and dictated file names were not always recognized correctly, which can negatively affect search results. Therefore, we recommend reviewing and, if necessary, correcting the dictated prompt to ensure that M365 Copilot can accurately locate the desired information and files within your M365 environment.

The combination of M365 Copilot and the Windows 11 dictation feature provides an easy and effective way to make interactions with the AI faster and more intuitive. Especially for users who feel uncertain about formulating prompts or simply want to save time, dictation is a real advantage. We recommend actively integrating this feature into your daily workflow to make the most of Copilot Pro’s full potential.