How to Use Voice Access in Windows 11

Voice access is a free feature built directly into the Windows 11 operating system that lets you control apps and settings with your voice and even allows for the dictation of speech. This article explains how to set up and use voice access as well as how to turn it on and off.

How to Set Up and Use Voice Access on Windows 11

Here’s how to set up and use the Windows 11 voice access tool.

1. Open Settings. The quickest way is with the Win+i keyboard shortcut, but it's also available from the Start menu.

   

2. Select Accessibility.

   

   Win+U is the keyboard shortcut to open Accessibility settings.

3. Scroll down and select Speech.

   

4. Select the switch to the right of Voice access to turn the feature on.
   

   To have voice access begin automatically when you first boot up, tick the box next to Start voice access after you sign in to your PC.

   

   Voice access is available in Windows 11 v22H2 and later. If you don't see the option in Settings, update Windows 11 to the latest version.

5. Windows’ voice access feature should now open as a thin app running across the top of the screen.

   A small welcome popup message will appear if this is your first time using it. Select the X icon to close this popup.

   

6. Select Download to install necessary files associated with the voice access feature.

   

7. If this is your first time using voice access, a pop-up should appear asking you to select your preferred microphone for making voice commands. Simply select your microphone from the list, then select the right arrow, and then press Done to continue.

   If you don't get this prompt, open the voice access settings via the gear icon in the top-right corner, then choose Select default microphone, and then select your mic from the list.
   

   Microsoft Array refers to the built-in microphone on Microsoft Surface and other Windows devices.

   

How to Improve Your Voice Recognition Results

Here are some tips for improving your voice recognition when using voice access in Windows 11:

• Switch to US English (EN-US). The voice access tool can work with any language setting but it is optimized for US English. You can change your Windows language at any time. 
• Reduce background noise. Turn off any music or other media playing in the background.
• Change microphones. One of your other microphones may be better suited to speech recognition.
• Test your microphone. There are several steps worth trying to properly set up and test your Windows microphone.
• Fix your microphone. Check your Windows 11 microphone for bugs and glitches. 
• Speak clearly. Windows 11’s voice access is pretty good at understanding speech but it’s not perfect.
• Practice the voice access commands. Microsoft has an official list of voice access commands that are worth familiarizing yourself with. 

How to Turn Off Voice Access

Windows 11’s voice access tool can be turned off at any time either by its own built-in menu or via the taskbar.

To turn voice access off from the program's menu, select the gear icon and then choose Turn off voice access.

To turn voice access off via the Windows taskbar, right-click the voice access icon and select Close window.

How to Turn On Voice Access

Once you’ve completed the voice access setup process, you can open the tool at any time via the Start menu or the Settings app.

To open voice access via Start, open the menu, type voice access in the search bar, and select Voice access.

Alternatively, open Settings and go to Accessibility > Speech to find the Voice access toggle.

How to Practice Window 11’s Voice Access Tool

One of the best ways to learn how to use Windows 11’s voice access tool is to use its built-in interactive guide. This tool can be opened and used at any time as many times as you like. Here’s how to use the voice access interactive guide.

1. Select the question mark icon from the voice access toolbar.

   

2. Select Start interactive guide.

   

3. Experiment with the sample voice commands on this screen and select the lower-right arrow when complete.
   

   The first instruction, “voice access wake up,” activates voice access. Once this is done, your Windows 11 device will assume that any spoken word is meant for voice access. This includes any music playing in the background and even media playing on your TV.

   

4. Try this second selection of tips and select the arrow when you’re ready to continue.

   

5. Repeat for this third page of instructions.

   

6. Finally, select View commands to open a list of available voice commands. Alternatively, choose Done to close the voice access introduction.