MathVoice for Google Docs
A Google Workspace Editor Add-on that lets you create and edit math equations by voice, directly inside any Google Doc.
Coming to Google Workspace Marketplace soonUsing Chrome? Try the extension
There are two ways to use MathVoice in Google Docs. This add-on works in any browser, lets you re-edit equations you inserted earlier, and can be deployed across a whole school or organisation by an admin. If you use Chrome and want voice right beside your document plus native, editable equations, see the Chrome extension — many people use both.
What this extension does
MathVoice for Google Docs is an Apps Script Editor Add-on that adds a sidebar to Google Docs. From the sidebar you can:
- Speak equations — open a dedicated voice tab where the microphone works (Google’s sidebar iframe blocks mic access, so we open a top-level tab that syncs back automatically)
- Type equations — use the embedded MathVoice Studio editor with full LaTeX support
- Insert equations — rendered equation images are inserted at your cursor position in the document
- Re-edit equations — select any MathVoice equation image in your doc and load it back into the editor for changes
Equations are inserted as images because the Google Docs API has no native equation object accessible to add-ons. The source LaTeX is stored in each image’s alt-text, enabling full round-trip editing.
How it works
- Open any Google Doc → Extensions → MathVoice → Open
- The sidebar appears with the MathVoice Studio editor embedded
- Click 🎤 Speak to open a voice-enabled tab, or type directly
- Click Insert equation to place the rendered equation at your cursor
- Select an inserted equation and click Load selected to re-edit it
Data and permissions — full transparency
This add-on requests the following permissions. Here is exactly why each one is needed:
| Permission | Scope | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
documents.currentonly | Current document only | Required to insert rendered equation images at the cursor position and to read selected image alt-text for round-trip editing. This is the most restricted Google Docs scope available — it cannot access your other documents, Drive, or any data outside the one document you have open. |
| Microphone (browser) | Top-level speak tab only | Used by the MathVoice Studio in the voice tab to capture speech for equation recognition. Audio is processed by your browser’s speech engine (or optional Whisper backend). Audio is never sent to MathVoice servers — only the recognised text transcript is transmitted. |
| Network to mathvoice.app | Studio iframe + API | The sidebar loads the MathVoice Studio from mathvoice.app. LaTeX strings are sent to the intent API to process edits. Formula data is processed in transit and not stored beyond the request. |
| Network to render.mathvoice.app | LaTeX → PNG rendering | When you click Insert, the LaTeX is sent to our rendering Worker which returns a transparent PNG. The Worker does not log or store the LaTeX. |
No data is stored. MathVoice does not store your equations, audio, or document contents beyond the duration of a single API request. The only persistent data is equation LaTeX in the image alt-text inside your own document — which you control. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Installation
- Install from the Google Workspace Marketplace (link coming soon)
- Open any Google Doc
- Go to Extensions → MathVoice → Open sidebar
Requirements
- Any Google account (personal, Workspace, or Education)
- Modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)
- Microphone (for voice input; keyboard input always works)