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How to use Voice Access in Windows 11

Set up Voice Access, choose the right microphone and try app control and dictation in Notepad. Learn how its modes, overlays and microphone controls work.

Jitsumi

7 min read

A desktop microphone sends sound waves toward a cursor selecting an abstract control on a monitor.
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7 min

Voice Access is the Windows 11 feature to use when you want to open apps, choose on-screen controls and enter text by speaking. Turn it on under Settings → Accessibility → Speech or find it from Start search. The first setup downloads speech-language files and asks you to choose a microphone; once set up, Voice Access uses on-device speech recognition and can work without an internet connection, according to Microsoft.

This guide reflects information available by 28 May 2026 and applies to Windows 11. Voice Access has been available since Windows 11 version 22H2; exact labels and available languages can vary by update.

Choose the right Windows voice feature

  • Voice Access controls Windows and apps as well as dictating text. Use it to open or switch apps, move through controls, click an item and write in a text field.
  • Voice Typing is for entering text where the cursor is already in a text box. Press Windows + H to start it; it does not navigate the rest of Windows for you. See Microsoft’s Voice Typing guide .
  • Live Captions puts recognised speech from PC audio on screen. It helps you read a video or call, but it does not type into an app or operate its buttons. Microsoft documents it separately in Use Live Captions to better understand audio .

If you only need to dictate a paragraph into a message, Voice Typing may be enough. If you need hands-free control across the desktop, start with Voice Access.

What you need

You need a Windows 11 PC with a working microphone. Microsoft lists Windows 11 version 22H2 and later for Voice Access. That is the feature’s minimum version; later Windows builds can change labels or add options.

Connect to the internet for the first setup: Voice Access downloads language files for speech recognition. Microsoft describes recognition as running on the device after setup, so the feature can work offline. Pick a language offered in Voice Access rather than assuming it follows your Windows display language.

Voice Access needs permission to use the selected microphone. On a work or school PC, your administrator may control that permission or block a language download.

Turn on Voice Access

  1. Open Start → Settings → Accessibility → Speech and turn on Voice access. You can also search Start for Voice access and open it from the result.
  2. When the welcome screen appears, choose a language that you speak and continue. Let the speech files download; the first setup needs an internet connection.
  3. Select the microphone you want Voice Access to use. If you have more than one, choose the headset or microphone closest to you. Continue to the interactive guide if you want to practise the basics.
  4. Check that the Voice Access bar appears at the top of the screen. It shows what the feature heard and whether it recognised a command.

If the microphone is missing or Voice Access cannot hear you, check Settings → System → Sound → Input first. Then open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone and check that microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone are on. A managed setting may be locked by your organisation; ask the administrator instead of trying to bypass it.

Try a safe first task in Notepad

Use a blank Notepad document so an accidental click cannot submit a form or change an account setting.

  1. Say “Open Notepad.” Voice Access should open the app. A blank document should have the caret ready. If it does not, say “Show numbers” and select the editor if it is labelled; otherwise use “Show grid” to place the pointer in the text area.
  2. Say “Dictation mode.” Speak one harmless sentence, such as “This is a Voice Access check.” Look at the Voice Access bar and the Notepad page: the recognised words should appear in the document.
  3. Say “Commands mode” when you want to issue commands without dictating. Say “Default mode” to return to the mode that handles both commands and text.
  4. To test on-screen selection, open a menu or another low-risk window and say “Show numbers.” Speak the number beside the control you want, or say “Click” followed by that number. Say “Hide numbers” when you are done.
  5. If a control has no number or Voice Access cannot identify its name, say “Show grid.” Speak a grid number to narrow the pointer to that part of the screen, then say “Click.” Say “Hide grid” to remove the overlay.

The number overlay is usually the quickest way to reach a labelled control. The grid is a fallback for an unlabeled spot. Some apps expose their controls differently, so keep keyboard navigation available if Voice Access cannot select a particular item.

If dictation gets a word wrong, try “Correct that” or “Spell out.” To look up a command supported by your build, say “What can I say?” or open the Help menu and choose View all commands. Microsoft’s Voice Access command list includes examples for opening apps, controlling overlays, dictating and editing text.

Know when the microphone is listening

Voice Access has listening, sleep and microphone-off states. In listening state, the bar shows the speech it recognises and can act on commands. Sleep pauses ordinary recognition while leaving Voice Access ready to wake. Microphone off stops it hearing speech until you turn the microphone back on.

Say “Voice access sleep” or “Mute” for a pause. Use the microphone control on the bar to turn the microphone off, or say “Turn off voice access” to close the feature. Check the bar before speaking near sensitive text or asking the PC to take an action.

On-device recognition is not a general microphone switch for the rest of Windows. Other apps have separate microphone permissions, and Voice Access must be listening to hear your commands. Microsoft’s setup instructions explain the language download and microphone selection. Microsoft also described Voice Access as on-device and usable without an internet connection in its December 2023 Windows Insider announcement .

If it does not work

  • The bar shows no speech: confirm it is listening, not asleep or microphone-off. Check the selected input under Settings → System → Sound → Input and speak a short test phrase.
  • The bar hears you but the text is wrong: confirm Voice Access is set to a language you speak. Try a quieter room or a closer microphone, then use “Correct that” or “Spell out.”
  • The command appears in the bar but nothing happens: check the active app and use the exact command shown in View all commands. Try Show numbers or Show grid if the control cannot be selected by name.
  • Setup cannot download the speech files: check the internet connection. If the PC is managed, the organisation may restrict Microsoft Store or speech components; ask IT for the supported setup.

You have confirmed the basics when Voice Access opens Notepad, enters one harmless test sentence and lets you deliberately pause or turn off its microphone. From there, use its built-in guide to learn the commands you need instead of experimenting on a form or unsaved document.

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