If Windows voice typing is not working, the usual cause is that microphone access is turned off or Windows is listening to the wrong microphone. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone and Let desktop apps access your microphone. Then go to Settings > System > Sound and pick the right device under Input.

If that doesn't fix it, work through the sections below in order. They start with the most common causes. Paths are for Windows 11, and Windows 10 differences are noted where they matter.

Windows voice typing not working: match the symptom to a fix

What you see Most likely cause Go to
Win+H does nothing, or types the letter "h" Cursor not in a text field, or the Windows key is blocked Win+H does nothing or types "h"
The voice typing bar opens but never picks up your voice Microphone access is off, the wrong input is selected, or the mic is muted Check the microphone privacy settings; Check the input device
A message says voice typing isn't available Your input language isn't supported, or online speech recognition is off Check the language and speech settings; Turn on online speech recognition
It worked yesterday and stopped today A stuck audio device, a pending update or a driver change Restart, update and run the audio troubleshooter; Update or reinstall the microphone driver
Settings are greyed out with a note that some settings are managed by your organization Your PC is managed by work or school Work or school PCs

Win+H does nothing or types "h"

Symptom: you press Windows key + H (Win+H) and nothing opens, or an "h" appears in your document.

Why: voice typing is meant to be started with the cursor in a text field. If the Windows key itself is blocked, Windows never sees the shortcut, so the H key just types "h".

  1. Click inside a text box first, such as a Notepad window or a browser's address bar, so the cursor is blinking there.
  2. Press Win+H again.
  3. Press the Windows key on its own and check that the Start menu opens. If it doesn't, the key is disabled.
  4. On gaming keyboards and some laptops, look for a "Win Lock" or "Game Mode" key or Fn combination that turns off the Windows key, and switch it off.
  5. Quit apps that set up their own global shortcuts, such as overlay tools, macro utilities or game launchers, then try again. One of them may be catching Win+H first.

Check the microphone privacy settings

Symptom: the voice typing bar opens, but the mic never seems to hear you, or it stops right away.

Why: Windows can block the microphone for the whole system or for groups of apps. Voice typing can't hear anything while access is blocked.

  1. Open Settings (Windows key + I).
  2. Go to Privacy & security > Microphone.
  3. Turn on Microphone access.
  4. Turn on Let apps access your microphone.
  5. Turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone.

Turning on all three rules out a privacy block. On Windows 10 the page is Settings > Privacy > Microphone, and the switches are worded "Allow…" instead of "Let…". If it says microphone access for this device is off, click Change and turn it on.

To jump straight to this page, press Windows key + R, paste the line below and press Enter. It only opens the page and changes nothing:

ms-settings:privacy-microphone

Check the input device

Symptom: voice typing is listening but types nothing, or types only fragments.

Why: Windows may be using a different microphone from the one you're speaking into, such as a webcam mic, a headset that's no longer connected, or a virtual audio device. The mic can also be muted or set very low.

  1. Open Settings > System > Sound. You can also press Windows key + R and run ms-settings:sound.
  2. Under Input, select the microphone you actually use.
  3. Click that device to open its properties. Check that Input volume isn't near zero, then click Start test and speak. If the test shows little or no level, the problem is the microphone, not voice typing.
  4. Check for a hardware mute: a mute button on the headset or its cable, a mic mute key on the laptop keyboard (often with a light) or a privacy switch.
  5. Quit apps that may be holding the microphone, such as video call or recording software, then try voice typing again.

A Bluetooth headset's microphone can appear as a separate entry from its speakers. Pick the headset's microphone entry under Input, or test with the laptop's built-in mic to rule out the headset.

Check the language and speech settings

Symptom: you get a message that voice typing isn't available in your language, or it transcribes in the wrong language.

Why: voice typing listens in your current input language, and not every language supports it. Windows also has a separate speech language setting.

  1. If you have more than one input language, check the language indicator near the clock on the taskbar. Press Win+Space to switch between input languages.
  2. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Make sure the language you want to dictate in is listed. If it isn't, use Add a language, and select the speech option during setup if one is offered.
  3. Open Settings > Time & language > Speech. Check that the speech language matches the language you're speaking. If you speak it with a non-native accent and the option appears, turn on recognition of non-native accents.
  4. Switch your input language to the one you set up and press Win+H again.

If voice typing doesn't support your language, no setting will change that. See the last sections of this page for other options.

Turn on online speech recognition

Symptom: voice typing asks you to turn on online speech recognition, or it opens and does nothing even though your microphone test works.

Why: voice typing can rely on Microsoft's online speech service. If that setting is off, it may refuse to start.

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Speech. On Windows 10 it's Settings > Privacy > Speech.
  2. Turn on Online speech recognition.
  3. Check that you're connected to the internet, then press Win+H again.

To undo this, turn the same switch off. With it on, your voice is sent to Microsoft for processing. If you'd rather not do that, see the section on other dictation tools below.

Restart, update and run the audio troubleshooter

Symptom: voice typing worked before and stopped without any settings change.

Why: audio devices can get stuck after sleep, after you plug in a new headset or partway through an update.

  1. Save your work and choose Restart from the power menu. Use Restart, not Shut down, so Windows fully reloads.
  2. Open Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install what's offered. If the mic stopped working after a hardware change, also check the optional updates for driver updates. On Windows 10 the path is Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
  3. Run the audio recording troubleshooter. On Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and run Recording Audio. On recent builds it may open in the Get Help app.

Update or reinstall the microphone driver

Symptom: the microphone shows no level in Sound settings at all, or it's missing from the Input list.

Why: with a broken or mismatched driver, Windows can't read the microphone, so voice typing has nothing to work with.

  1. Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.
  2. Expand Audio inputs and outputs.
  3. Right-click your microphone and choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
  4. If that doesn't help, right-click it again, choose Uninstall device, then restart. Windows reinstalls the driver when it starts up.
  5. On a laptop, check the manufacturer's support site for its audio driver. It sometimes works better than the generic Windows driver.

Work or school PCs

Symptom: speech or microphone settings are greyed out, or you see a note that some settings are managed by your organization.

Why: your IT department can turn off microphone access or online speech recognition through policy. You can't override that from Settings.

Ask your IT team whether voice typing and online speech recognition are allowed on your device. Tell them you're trying to use Windows voice typing (Win+H), so they know which settings to check.

If you need dictation that doesn't depend on these settings

If voice typing is blocked on your PC, your language isn't supported or you don't want audio sent online, a separate dictation tool may suit you better. Our roundup of free dictation software for Windows compares the options.

We make Gubb, which is on the Microsoft Store. Its Speech to Text feature can run on your computer with a Whisper model you download inside the app. It works differently from Win+H in three ways:

  • The text goes into a Gubb note, not into Word or your browser.
  • Local transcription is English-only.
  • Local transcription only covers the first 30 seconds of each recording.

It also still needs a working microphone, so it won't help if the checks above point to a hardware problem. Use it to capture quick spoken notes, not as a replacement for voice typing in every app.

When to contact Microsoft and what to tell them

Contact Microsoft support through the Get Help app (search for it from the Start menu) if all of these are true:

  • The microphone test in Settings > System > Sound shows a level.
  • Microphone access and online speech recognition are on.
  • You're using an input language that voice typing supports.
  • Voice typing still doesn't work after a restart and updates.

Have this ready:

  1. Your Windows version. Press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter.
  2. Exactly what happens when you press Win+H: nothing, an "h" appears, the bar opens but types nothing, or an error message (copy its wording).
  3. The microphone you're using and whether it passes the Sound settings test.
  4. Your input language and speech language.
  5. Whether the PC is managed by work or school.
  6. Whether the problem started after a specific update or hardware change.

If the microphone fails the test in every app, contact the PC or headset maker instead. That points to the hardware or its audio driver.

For how voice typing works once it's running, including its voice commands, see how to use voice typing on Windows.