How to set up speech recognition in Windows

You can interact with your Windows device using just your voice, without the need for a keyboard or mouse. After years of integrating voice control into Microsoft software updates, we've finally reached the promised land of perfection. Follow these steps to set up voice recognition on your Windows laptop or PC.

What is Speech Recognition in Windows?

Speech recognition is a built-in feature from Microsoft that gives you hands-free access to your Windows computer based on voice commands alone.

There used to be a feature called "Windows Speech Recognition (WSR)" that is no longer available. Voice Access has replaced it entirely. The current version of online speech recognition is used for dictation and training Microsoft applications to learn the user's unique voice pattern.

For Windows 11, you can access this feature from Settings -> Privacy & security -> Speech -> Online speech recognition , which must be enabled. Windows 10 users can access it from Start -> Settings -> Privacy & security -> Speech -> Online speech recognition .

Enabling speech recognition in Windows helps people with physical disabilities, because hands-free interaction feels more natural and intuitive. But more importantly, it allows any PC user to open applications, dictate text, and search for information without taking much longer than they would with a keyboard or mouse.

Turning off Online Speech Recognition doesn't affect other Windows apps that use your microphone. You can continue to use Game Bar , Voice Access, Sound Recorder, Teams, or Zoom. Here are the simple steps to set up speech recognition in Windows for your built-in and external microphones.

How to set up speech recognition in Windows

1. Make sure Windows microphone is working

Windows laptops have built-in microphones that are embedded directly into your device. Turning it on is easy: On Windows 11, go to Settings -> Privacy & security -> Microphone . Here, you need to turn on the Microphone access switch .

Windows 10 users should navigate through Start -> Settings -> Privacy & security -> Microphone and enable Allow apps to access your microphone .

After making the above tweak, enable another setting Let desktop apps access your microphone . Below that, you'll see a built-in app, "Speech UX Configuration", with a Last accessed timeline . This app's status indicates whether speech recognition is currently active on your Windows device.

There are several ways to check if your microphone is working properly. On Windows 11, go to System -> Sound -> Advanced -> More sound settings. On Windows 10, the path is Start -> System -> Sound , which will open a pop-up window. In both cases, go to Recording . A green check mark icon indicates that there is no problem with the microphone.

Another popular new way is to chat with the Copilot app. You just need to click on the Talk to Copilot icon near the voice input area of ​​the app. If you are having any issues with your PC microphone, you can fix it with a simple fix .

2. Pairing an external microphone (optional)

With most modern laptops, you can get very high-quality voice interaction using the built-in microphone. However, as any podcaster or video creator will tell you, an external microphone makes your voice clearer.

In Windows 11, go to Settings -> System -> Sound -> Pair a new device and click Add device . For Windows 10 users, the path is Start -> Settings -> System -> Sound -> Input . In the drop-down menu, you will find various microphones, including the system default microphone.

For any of the two microphones, click Add device to insert a new microphone. You can add a new microphone connected to the digital jack.

However, if the external microphone is connected via Bluetooth , there are a few steps required to sync the microphone with your laptop. You can also use your smartphone to input your voice.

3. Set up speech recognition in Windows

The next step is easy. Just go to the Online speech recognition page and turn on the toggle. To further fine-tune it based on your personal voice, click Start contributing my voice clips .

Previously, the training tool would require you to actually test your voice. But that process has been automated in the latest versions of Windows 11. Now, every time you use a Microsoft app, like Copilot or the Dictate feature in Word , Microsoft will automatically train the device to adapt to your voice and speaking style.

Note that voice recognition also gets more familiar with your voice through regular use, so keep using it and it will naturally improve. Previously, this intuitive feature would use a full list of commands, which was often used with Cortana , an outdated app.

These commands are still quite useful, but you don't have to remember any of them anymore. That's because, now that Microsoft has switched to Natural Language Processing (NLP) design, you just have to say them the way you normally would.

This guide has shown you the most straightforward and easy way to set up speech recognition in Windows. It’s not the only useful accessibility feature. You can be incredibly productive with the Windows on-screen keyboard, especially on a touch-enabled PC or a phablet (a mobile device with a large screen size of 5 – 6.9 inches). Narrator helps you hear your words come to life.