How to Change Speech Recognition Output Devices in Windows 11 Accessibility Speech Settings

Checking Your Current Audio Setup

Before you change anything, check which audio devices Windows can see. This shows every connected speaker, headphone set, and microphone, so you know the exact name of the device you want. If a device is missing from the list, you find out now rather than halfway through the change.

Start by opening the Settings app.

1. Click the Start button on your taskbar🖥️.
2. Select Settings, the gear icon. The Settings⚙️ window opens.

3. In the Settings⚙️ window, click System in the list on the left.
4. Click Sound to open your audio controls. You should see separate Output and Input sections.
5. Look under Output. It lists every speaker and headphone set currently connected to your computer.
6. Write down the exact name of the device you want to use for speech and system audio. Several devices can have similar names, for example a monitor’s built-in speakers and a USB headset, so the exact name helps you pick the right one later.

That’s it. You now know which playback devices Windows detects and what each one is called. If your headset or Bluetooth device isn’t listed, check that it is switched on, paired, and plugged in properly. A device that isn’t connected won’t show up as an option.

Navigating to 🪟 Windows 11 Accessibility and Speech Settings

The Accessibility section of Settings holds the tools built for hearing, vision, and voice control. It’s where you find Voice access and the other speech options. The steps below open it.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Click Settings. The Settings⚙️ window opens.

With the main Settings window open, you can move into the Accessibility section. It gathers the tools that help people with different physical needs use the computer, including vision, hearing, and speech features.

1. Click Accessibility in the left-hand menu.
2. Scroll down the list of options until you find the area for speech or interaction. Depending on your version of Windows 11, you may see Voice access or general Speech settings. Menu names and positions vary slightly between Windows 11 releases, so look for the closest match.

That’s it. You are now in the part of Settings that holds the voice tools. If you can’t find the option, the older Control Panel route below is another way in.

There is also an older route through the classic Control Panel:

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control and press Enter. The classic Control Panel🎛️ opens.
3. Select Ease of Access, then Speech Recognition.

You should now see the classic speech page. This route is useful if you prefer the older layout or can’t find the option in Settings. Be aware that Voice access has replaced the older Windows Speech Recognition tool, so the classic page may offer less than the Settings app does.

Voice access is the current voice control feature in Windows 11. It lets you open apps, dictate text, and click items by speaking. It needs Windows 11 version 22H2 or later, and it supports a limited list of languages that grows over time. To turn it on:

1. Go to Settings › Accessibility › Speech.
2. Switch on the Voice access toggle. On first use, Windows may ask you to download a speech model, which needs an internet connection. Wait for the download to finish.
3. Look at the top of your screen. The voice access bar appears there once the feature is ready.
4. On the voice access bar, open its settings (the gear button) and choose Microphone. Pick the microphone you want Voice access to listen to from the list.

That’s it. Voice access is now running and listening through the microphone you chose. If the toggle is missing, check your Windows version in Settings › System › About. If the language you need isn’t offered, it isn’t supported on your build yet. To stop Voice access, switch the same toggle off.

How to Change Speech Recognition Output Devices

Changing the speech output device takes only a few clicks once you know where to look. You set your preferred playback hardware in Sound settings, and Windows then plays spoken feedback through it. The steps below use the classic Sound window, which works on every Windows 11 release.

1. Open the Start menu and choose Settings.
2. Click System on the left side, then click Sound.
3. Scroll down and click More sound settings to open the classic Sound window. You may also see advanced audio options on this page. The More sound settings link sits near the bottom, under the advanced options, and its position can differ between Windows 11 versions.
4. In the Sound window, click the Playback tab. It lists all available audio output devices.
5. Find your preferred headset, speakers, or headphones in the list.
6. Right-click your chosen device and select Set as Default Device. If you want your voice tools to prioritize it for calls and voice features, also select Set as Default Communication Device.
7. Click Apply, then click OK to save your changes.

That’s it. The chosen device should now show a green check mark in the Playback list, and spoken feedback plays through it. If a device is greyed out or marked as disconnected, it isn’t currently available. Plug it in or reconnect it, and it becomes active again.

To undo the change, repeat the steps and set your previous device as the default. You normally don’t need to restart. An app that was already open may need to be closed and reopened before it switches to the new device.

If you switch between headphones and speakers often, there are two faster routes. The first is the volume flyout in Quick Settings:

1. Click the speaker, network, and battery icons at the right end of the taskbar🖥️. You can also press Win+A. Quick Settings opens.
2. Click the arrow next to the volume slider. A list of your output devices appears.
3. Click the device you want to use.

You should now hear audio from the new device straight away, with no trip through Settings. This changes the default playback device for the whole system.

The second route sets the output for one app only. It is useful if you want voice feedback on a headset while music stays on your speakers:

1. Go to Settings › System › Sound › Volume mixer.
2. Find the app in the list and open its entry if it is collapsed.
3. Choose a device from that app’s Output device list.

That’s it. The app now plays through the device you picked, while everything else keeps using the system default. To undo it, return to the same list and set the app back to Default. On the first Windows 11 release (21H2), the per-app option sits under the advanced options on the Sound page instead.

Setting Up and Testing Your Microphone

1. Open the Start menu and click Settings.
2. Select System from the left menu, then click Sound.
3. Look under the Input section to see your connected microphones.
4. Click your microphone to open its properties.
5. Click the Start test button under the input settings. Speak normally for a few seconds, then click Stop test.
6. Check the result. Windows shows a percentage score. If the score is too low, move closer to your microphone or drag the input volume slider upward, then test again.

That’s it. You now know whether Windows picks up your voice at a good level. If you use Voice access, remember that it has its own microphone choice on the voice access bar, so check that it points to the same device.

If the microphone doesn’t appear at all, check that it is plugged in and not blocked in your privacy settings (see the next section).

Protecting Your Privacy with Speech and Voice Settings

Voice features involve your spoken words, so it’s worth knowing how Windows handles them. The Privacy & security settings let you decide what is sent to Microsoft and which apps can listen.

1. Open the Start menu and click Settings.
2. Click Privacy & security in the left-hand menu.

3. Scroll down to the Windows permissions section.
4. Click Speech. The Speech page opens.

The Speech page lets you turn the Online speech recognition switch on or off. When you turn it off, Microsoft’s cloud-based speech services won’t use your voice data for processing. Some features that rely on the cloud may work less well or stop working, and you can flip the switch back on at any time.

You can also click Voice activation under Privacy & security to control which apps are allowed to listen for voice keywords, even when your device is locked. Turn it off for any app you don’t want listening in the background.

You should now know where Windows keeps its speech privacy controls and how to change them. Nothing here needs a restart, and each switch can be reversed whenever you want.

Summary

Changing your speech recognition output device in Windows 11 controls where you hear audio feedback, system prompts, and accessibility alerts. Pick your preferred speakers or headset through the System and Sound menus, confirm it as the default on the Playback tab, and test your microphone so your voice tools work correctly.