How to Show or Hide Voice Typing Mic on Windows 11 Touch Keyboard

Why Use Voice Typing?

Voice typing is useful when typing on glass is slow or awkward, such as on a tablet or a 2-in-1 held in one hand. You speak, and Windows converts your speech into written words in whichever text box has focus.

A few things to know before you start:

• You need a working microphone. A built-in mic on a laptop or tablet is fine.
• Voice typing usually needs an internet connection, because the speech recognition is handled online.
• Show or hide the button only changes the keyboard layout. It does not turn the microphone itself on or off.

How to Turn On or Off the Voice Typing Mic Button Using Windows Settings

The simplest way to change this is through the built-in Settings app ⚙️. This method controls whether the microphone icon appears on the touch keyboard, and you don’t need to touch any system files. You will open Settings, go to the Time & language section, and find the typing options.

The exact wording of the toggle can differ slightly between Windows 11 versions. If you don’t see the option, check that Windows is fully updated, because older builds may not list it. Follow the steps below and look for the setting that mentions the voice typing mic button.

1. Open Windows Settings. Click the Start menu button and choose Settings. Or press Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. In the Settings window, click on Time & language on the left side.
3. On the right side, click the Typing section to open it.
4. Find and expand the Touch keyboard section.
5. Look for the option "Show the voice typing mic button" and check the box to turn it on. Uncheck it to turn it off.

The change takes effect right away, and you don't need to restart. If the keyboard is already open, close it and bring it up again to see the updated layout. To undo the change, go back to the same page and flip the toggle the other way.

How to Turn On or Off the Voice Typing Mic Button Using the Registry (For Advanced Users)

You can also show or hide the voice typing mic button by changing a value in the Registry Editor, which is a database for low-level system settings. This route is useful if the Settings page is missing the option, won't open, or if you prefer to manage settings through registry keys. It is also the method to use when you need to apply the same change to several PCs.

Be careful here. A wrong edit in the registry can cause system problems. Before you change anything, create a restore point or export the key you are about to edit, so you can roll back if something goes wrong. You also need an administrator account to make changes.

Here's how:

1. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Start menu search and pressing Enter.
2. Go to this folder (key): HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Input\Settings
3. If you don't see the Settings folder, right-click on Input. Select New › Key and name it Settings.
4. Right-click on the right side of the Settings folder. Choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it IsVoiceTypingKeyEnabled.
5. Double-click this new value. Set the Base to Decimal and enter:

   • 1 to turn the mic button ON
   • 0 to turn the mic button OFF
6. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
7. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Once the value is saved, close the Registry Editor. If the button hasn't changed on the touch keyboard, sign out and back in, or restart the PC, and then check again. To undo the change, open the same value, set it back to what it was before, and save it. If you exported the key first, you can also double-click that exported file to restore it.

Summary

A hardware microphone picks up your speech so you can enter text faster on tablets and other touch-enabled devices. Dictation is a good alternative when typing with your fingers is slow.

Use the Settings method for a quick, low-risk change. Use the Registry Editor only when Settings doesn't offer the option or you need to manage it another way.