Accessibility has been a major focus of Microsoft's products for many years now, and Windows 11 is no exception. One of the highlights of this operating system is a feature called voice access, which was added in version 22H2.

Voice access is fairly straightforward; it lets you control your PC using your voice. There's a long list of supported commands, so you can open apps, write text, and more. If you want to try out voice access for yourself, here's how to set it up and get started:

  1. Open the Settings app on your PC.
  2. Switch to the Accessibility tab on the left-side menu.
  3. Scroll down (if needed) and click Speech.
    Screenshot of the Accessibility page in the Windows 11 Settings app. The Speech button is highlighted
  4. Voice access is the first option. Click the toggle to switch it to On.
    Screenshot of Windows 1 Speech accessibility setting with voice access turned on

    If you'd like voice access to start automatically when you turn on your computer, check the Start voice access after you sign in to your PC box underneath.

  5. A bar will show up at the top of your computer screen. Click Download to install the voice access service. The process takes a few seconds.
    Screenshot of Windows 11 desktop with voice access bar at the top. The download button is highlighted
  6. Once the service is installed, the Voice access guide app will open to walk you through the ropes of using voice access. First, you'll need to select a microphone to use for voice access, then click the arrow in the bottom right corner.
    Screenshot of the initial screen in the Voice access guide app on Windows 11
  7. Click Start guide.
  8. Follow the instructions to familiarize yourself with the available commands.
  9. When the guide ends, you can click the View commands button to see all the available commands. The list is split into multiple categories.
    Screenshot of the Voice access command list Windows 11
  10. You can now speak any of the available commands for navigation.
  11. To stop using voice access, say "Voice access sleep." The feature will be paused until you say "Voice access wake up."
  12. To turn it off entirely, click the gear icon near the top right corner and choose Turn off voice access. You can launch the feature again by going to the Settings app or searching for Voice access in the Start menu.

The process is fairly simple, and it gives you a brand-new way to use your PC that doesn't require using your hands as much, which can be helpful for people with physical disabilities or problems like chronic pain. Currently, the feature only works in English, but multiple dialects are supported, so you can use it in the United States, United Kingdom, India, and more. We're also likely to see more improvements as time goes on, since Windows 11 version 23H2 already introduced some changes to dictation, making it easier to correct misheard words.