Windows 11 voice typing
not working? 8 fixes

Before you start

Press Windows key + H with your cursor in a text box. If the voice typing bar does not open, or it opens but no text appears, work through the fixes below in order. The early ones take seconds. Every step comes from a Microsoft support page, linked under each fix.

1. Check that you are online

Microsoft says: “To use voice typing, you'll need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box.” Voice typing uses online speech recognition, powered by Azure Speech services. Microsoft says voice typing needs an internet connection. Open any website to check your connection, then try Win+H again.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

2. Put your cursor in a text box first

Voice typing writes where your cursor is. Click into the field you want to fill, such as an email body, a document or a search box, and then press Win+H. Wait for the “Listening...” alert before you speak. To stop, say “Stop listening” or press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

3. Turn on online speech recognition

Microsoft's privacy page says that in Windows 11, voice typing “converts speech to text using online speech recognition”, and that when online speech recognition is turned off, “only device‑based features (such as Narrator) are available.” To check the setting:

• Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Speech.
• Turn Online speech recognition on.

The same page explains that with online speech recognition, your voice data is sent to Microsoft to create the text.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Speech, voice activation, inking, typing, and privacy”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

4. Let apps use your microphone

If Windows blocks the microphone, voice typing hears nothing. Microsoft's steps:

• Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and make sure Microphone access is on.
• Make sure Let apps access your microphone is on.
• Make sure Let desktop apps access your microphone is on. Desktop apps do not appear in the per-app list.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Fix microphone problems”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

5. Choose the right microphone and test it

Laptops with a headset or webcam attached often have more than one microphone, and Windows may be listening to the wrong one.

• Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
• Under Input, go to Choose a device for speaking or recording and pick the microphone you use.
• Open the device's properties, select Start test, speak, then Stop test. Adjust the Input volume slider if the level is low.

The voice typing settings also have a Default microphone option. Press Windows key + Alt + H to move through the voice typing menu with the keyboard.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Fix microphone problems”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

6. Run the audio troubleshooter

Select Settings > System > Sound, scroll down to Advanced, and under Troubleshoot common sound problems choose Input devices. Windows checks the recording side and suggests fixes.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Fix microphone problems”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

7. Update or reinstall the audio driver

If Windows does not detect your microphone at all, Microsoft suggests reinstalling the audio driver:

• Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
• Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
• Right-click the audio device, select Uninstall device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device, and select Uninstall.
• Restart your PC. Windows will try to reinstall the device. You can also right-click the audio driver and choose Update driver.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Fix microphone problems”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

8. Check the language

Voice typing listens in your current input language, and it only works in the languages on Microsoft's list. To switch, change the input language with the language switcher on the taskbar, or press Windows key + Spacebar. The list of supported languages is on Microsoft's page.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

Still not working, or no connection where you work?

Windows 11 has a second built-in tool. Microsoft says voice access lets you control your PC and author text “using only their voice and without an internet connection”. It is available in Windows 11, version 22H2 and later. It is built to control the whole PC by voice, so it works differently from Win+H.

Source: Microsoft Support, “Get started with voice access”, checked 23 Oct 2026.

For more on what the built-in tools do without a connection, read does Win+H voice typing work offline?

An alternative: VoltType's Offline mode on Pro

If you need dictation that works with no connection, VoltType is another option. On Pro, in Offline mode, your voice is transcribed on your PC, in 25 languages. Pro covers all supported languages. For the other 74, and on the free plan, your voice is sent over the internet to be transcribed.

VoltType has its own keys: hold Ctrl + Space to talk, or press Ctrl + Shift + D to start and stop. Win+H keeps working next to it. The free plan gives you 3,000 words a month in the cloud. Plans are on the pricing page, and you can check what VoltType sends yourself. We explain how it works in offline dictation on Windows, and how to use it in email and documents in how to dictate in Outlook and Word.

Once Win+H works, voice typing punctuation commands lists what to say for commas and new lines, voice typing in Gmail and Chrome covers the browser, and on-device vs cloud speech recognition explains why Win+H needs the internet.

Sources

• Microsoft Support, “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”: support.microsoft.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Microsoft Support, “Speech, voice activation, inking, typing, and privacy”: support.microsoft.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Microsoft Support, “Fix microphone problems”: support.microsoft.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Microsoft Support, “Get started with voice access”: support.microsoft.com, checked 23 Oct 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Win+H do nothing?

Check that your cursor is in a text box and that you are online. Microsoft says voice typing needs an internet connection, a working microphone and the cursor in a text box (checked 23 Oct 2026).

Where is the online speech recognition setting?

Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Speech. Microsoft says voice typing uses online speech recognition.

Does Windows voice typing work without internet?

Microsoft's voice typing page says you need to be connected to the internet. Voice access, a separate Windows 11 tool, works without a connection, according to Microsoft (checked 23 Oct 2026).