Windows 11 Voice Typing Not Working? Fix it in 6 Steps

The voice typing feature is one of the most talked about in the latest iteration. Who wouldn’t want to use the voice input text rather than typing the same thing? But several users have reported that Windows 11 voice typing is not working.

The feature is not new, it was there in Windows 10 as well, though with a different name. But on Windows 11, it’s certainly a lot more advanced and offers high accuracy when translating from speech to text.

Apart from that, it will work anywhere on the system, whether you are performing a Google search, drafting a document, and we can use it even while writing this article.

So, read the following sections to find out all about the feature and the most relevant fixes in case Windows 11’s voice typing is not working.

How do I enable and use voice typing in Windows 11?

The process to enable voice typing in Windows 11 is simple, you just have to place the cursor in a text field, and hit Windows + H to launch the tool. But, that isn’t certainly all!

There are a lot of other things about the voice typing tool that a user must know in order to make the most of it. Also, you may need to reconfigure the default settings for the best experience, or set the tool to launch automatically whenever required.

To find it all out, check our dedicated guide that will talk you through using the voice typing tool in Windows 11.

What do I do if voice typing is not working in Windows 11?

1. Check the connections (for external microphones)

If you are using an external microphone, it’s likely that the connections are not in order. To fix that, remove the jack or USB, whichever your microphone uses, clean it and the port, and then reconnect it.

Once that’s done, check if the Windows 11 voice typing not working problem is eliminated.

In case it isn’t, connect the same microphone to another system, and verify if it works there. If it does, the problem lies with your computer, and executing the fixes below should fix it.

While if it doesn’t, you may have to replace the microphone. Check our curated guide that lists the best microphones for Windows 11.

2. Verify that the microphone is enabled

1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Privacy & security from the tabs listed in the navigation pane on the left.
2. Scroll down and select Microphone under App permissions.
3. Make sure the Microphone access toggle is enabled.

If the microphone doesn’t have the required permissions, you will encounter problems with voice typing. Simply making the required changes can get things working.

After providing the permission, check if the voice typing not working problem in Windows 11 is fixed

3. Choose the correct language for speech

1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Time & language tab from the ones listed in the navigation pane on the left.
2. Next, click on Speech on the right.
3. Now, select the desired option from the Choose the language you speak with your device dropdown menu, and tick the checkbox for Recognize non-native accents for this language option.
4. Click on the Get started button under Microphone, and follow the on-screen instructions to fix things.

4. Update Windows 11

1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select the Windows Update tab from the navigation pane.
2. Click on the Check for updates button on the right to scan for a newer version of the OS.
3. If an update is listed after the scan, click on Download & install.

If you are facing the Windows 11 voice typing not working error due to a bug in the current version of the OS, installing an update would be the best fix. Whenever Microsoft identifies a bug in Windows, a patch for it is released in the subsequent versions.

5. Run the troubleshooter

1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and click on Troubleshoot on the right in the System tab.
2. Next, click on Other troubleshooters.
3. Locate the Recording Audio troubleshooter, and click on the Run button next to it.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and choose the relevant option when prompted.

It’s always recommended to run a dedicated troubleshooter whenever you encounter an issue in Windows. Microsoft offers several of these to automatically diagnose and eliminate problems causing the system or connected devices to malfunction.

Once the troubleshooter is done running, check if the Windows 11 voice typing not working problem is eliminated. In case it persists, head to the next method.

6. Update the microphone driver

1. Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Device Manager in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result that appears.
2. Now, double-click on the Audio inputs and outputs entry to view the various devices under it.
3. Right-click on the malfunctioning microphone, and select Update driver from the context menu.
4. Finally, select Search automatically for drivers from the two options listed in the Update Drivers window.
5. The system will now scan for the best available drivers and install it for the the microphone.

If none of the fixes listed above have worked, it’s most likely the outdated microphone driver to blame. Outdated drivers are known to cause various problems, and after installing the update, you will notice considerably better performance.

But, the Device Manager method listed above only scans for the updates on the system. So, if you haven’t downloaded the latest version previously, the update wouldn’t go through, and it would tell you that the best available driver is already installed.

In this case, you can check for the latest driver version in Windows Update, or manually download the setup from the manufacturer’s website and install it.

If that sounds like too much trouble, you can always rely on a third-party app. We recommend using a dedicated driver updating tool that will scan every source for the latest version, and keep all the installed drivers up-to-date.

What are the best speech to text software tools for Windows 11?

If the voice typing tool in Windows 11 doesn’t meet your requirements, though that’s rarely the case, there are a bunch of similar apps available. Check our curated guide including the best speech to text software for Windows 11 in that regard.

These tools offer a lot more features, and in some cases a higher accuracy and precision as well. When selecting any of the ones listed in our guide or even another, it’s imperative that you verify if the software is effective.

Accuracy is of prime importance here, because you certainly wouldn’t want to keep editing the text over and over again. It should be able to accurately transcribe what’s being spoken with no, or minimum, errors.

By now, you know all about voice typing tools, and the most effective methods to fix it, in case it is not working in Windows 11.

Also, find out how to use Cortana, a quick way to command your computer using voice, in Windows 11, if you are facing issues with it.

Tell us which fix worked and your experience with voice typing in Windows 11, in the comments section below.