Windows 11 provides two tools that let you use your voice to type and control your computer. These tools can be especially helpful for people with mobility disabilities, making it easier to navigate your PC and create text hands-free.
Voice Access and Voice Typing share some features, but each has unique advantages to suit different needs:
- Voice Access lets you control your computer completely with your voice. You can open and use apps, edit text, and perform many other tasks. It works offline, so you don’t need an internet connection.
- Voice Typing focuses on text creation, allowing you to dictate with your voice. It requires an internet connection and was previously called Dictation in Windows 10.
Both tools are designed to make computers more accessible, giving users greater independence and flexibility.
Voice Access
Voice Access in Windows 11 lets you control your PC and create text using just your voice. With Voice Access, you can open and switch between apps, browse the web, and read or write emails—all hands-free. It uses on-device speech recognition, so it works accurately and doesn’t require an internet connection.
This guide will help you get started with Voice Access. It’s a powerful tool that offers many features to make using your PC easier. For detailed instructions and more advanced tips, visit the official Microsoft Support article: Use Voice Access to control your PC and create text with your voice.
Using Voice Access
How to start Voice Access
- In the Start menu, select Settings > Accessibility > Speech.
- Toggle the Voice access switch to on.
- When prompted "Do you want to continue and set up voice access?", Click "Yes, continue."
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Alternatively, you can type "voice access" into the Windows search bar and select "open".
How to stop Voice Access
You can use one of the following commands to put Voice Access to sleep:
- "Voice access sleep"
- "Mute"
You can also completely close Voice Access by issuing one of the following commands:
- "Turn off voice access"
- "Stop voice access"
- "Close voice access"
- "Exit voice access"
- "Quit voice access"
Typing with Voice Access
To dictate text into a text box, first move the focus to the text box.
- To move the cursor to a specific text box, say "click (text box name)"
- If you don’t know the name or label of a text box, you can use number overlays. Say "show numbers" followed by the number that is associated with the text box. For more information, go to the Use voice to interact with items on the screen article from Microsoft Support.
Voice Access in Windows 11 makes it easy to use your PC with just your voice. You can open and switch between apps, browse the web, and read or write emails—all without needing to use a keyboard or mouse. Voice Access works offline with on-device speech recognition, providing accurate voice control even without an internet connection.
This guide will walk you through the basics of using Voice Access. It’s a versatile tool designed to make computers more accessible and user-friendly. For detailed instructions and advanced tips, visit the Microsoft Support article: Use Voice Access to control your PC and create text with your voice.
Voice Access Commands
Voice Access offers a variety of commands to help you control your PC using just your voice. These commands let you navigate your computer, switch between apps, browse the web, create text, and perform many other tasks hands-free.
For a complete list of available commands, check out the Microsoft Support article: Voice Access Command List. While we can’t include all the commands here, below are a few of the most commonly used ones:
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"Open (app name)" opens an app.
- Example: "Open Teams" will open Microsoft Teams.
- "Close window" closes the current window.
- "Minimize window" minimizes the current window.
- "Double-click (item name)" double clicks on the requested item.
Voice Typing
With Voice Typing on Windows 11, you can speak the text you want entered into your PC without using a mouse or keyboard. Voice Typing uses online speech recognition powered by Microsoft Azure Speech services.
Note: Windows Speech Recognition is available only for the following languages: English (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India, and Australia), French, German, Japanese, Mandarin (Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional), and Spanish.
Using Voice Typing
How to start Voice Typing
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Press Windows logo key + H on a hardware keyboard
- Alternatively, if you are using a tablet, tap the microphone key next to the spacebar on the touch keyboard.
How to stop Voice Typing
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Say the command like "Stop listening"
- Alternatively, if you are using a tablet, press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.