Do I need speech-to-text in my product?

Maybe — but only if it helps a real user job.

Speech-to-text is worth adding when your product needs one or more of these:

• Fast text entry: users need to capture notes, messages, or commands hands-free.
• Accessibility: you want better support for users who can’t easily type.
• Mobile / on-the-go usage: users are driving, walking, cooking, or otherwise unable to type.
• High-volume input: long dictation is faster than typing.
• Voice-first workflows: your product is naturally conversational or command-based.
• Search or transcription: users need to turn spoken content into searchable text.

You probably don’t need it if:

• Typing is already easy and fast in your product.
• Voice input would be used rarely.
• Your users are in noisy environments.
• Accuracy errors would create too much friction or risk.
• The feature would add complexity without a clear benefit.

A good way to decide:

1. Identify the top 2–3 user tasks.
2. Ask whether speech would reduce time, effort, or errors.
3. Check if voice is better than alternatives like autocomplete, templates, or keyboard shortcuts.
4. Test with a small prototype or user interviews.

If you want, I can help you decide for your specific product by looking at:

• your users,
• the main workflows,
• and whether voice would be a meaningful advantage.