How to Enable or Disable Voice Access in Windows 11

This guide explains how to turn Voice Access on or off in Windows 11. Voice Access lets you control your computer and write text using only your voice.

Why use Voice Access?

Voice Access is helpful if you want to use your computer hands-free. It uses smart technology built directly into your PC to understand what you say without needing an internet connection. It is great for opening apps, surfing the web, or writing emails.

What happens when you are done?

Once finished, you will be able to manage your computer’s settings or dictate text using your voice commands. Please note that this feature currently only works with English-U.S. You must set the Windows display language to English-U.S for it to work. Also, this feature is currently only available to users in the Microsoft Insider Preview program. If you need it now, join the Microsoft Insider Preview program.

How to turn on Voice Access

Note: You may need administrator privileges to change certain system settings on your computer.

1. Open your Settings menu. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard or by clicking Start and selecting Settings.

2. In the Settings window, click on Accessibility in the menu on the left.
3. Select the Speech tile on the right side of your screen.

3. Click on the Voice access tile.
4. Click the toggle button to turn it On.

4. The first time you do this, your computer will ask you to download a speech model. This allows the computer to understand your voice.

How to turn off Voice Access

If you no longer want to use this feature, you can easily turn it off.

1. Go back to Settings.
2. Click Accessibility, then click Speech.
3. Find the Voice access tile and click the toggle button to Off.

Summary

Voice Access allows you to control your Windows 11 PC using your voice. It is currently available through the Insider Preview program and requires the English-U.S language setting. You can easily enable or disable this feature anytime through the Accessibility menu in your system settings.

Frequently Asked Questions