Windows 11 Voice Typing (Win + H) Not Working: 10 Fixes

Windows voice typing, the built-in dictation tool you open with Windows + H, needs four things to work: an internet connection, a microphone that Windows is allowed to use, a cursor in a text box and a keyboard language it supports (Microsoft support). If even one is missing, voice typing won't work: the shortcut does nothing, stops right away or shows an error message.

This guide starts from the symptom you're seeing, then walks through ten fixes, from the simplest to the most technical. It applies to Windows 11 and, for the most part, to Windows 10.

In brief

• Windows + H needs an internet connection, a microphone Windows is allowed to use, a cursor in a text box and a supported keyboard language.
• "Voice typing isn't available in current language" means your keyboard is set to a language that voice typing doesn't recognize. For English, only six variants are supported (Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States), so a keyboard set to English (Ireland) or English (South Africa) triggers the error.
• Voice typing stops after a few seconds of silence: that's by design, not a fault, and no setting prevents it.
• Without internet, voice typing doesn't work. To dictate offline, your options are Windows 11 voice access (seven languages) or an app that transcribes on your PC, such as Ondula in Local mode.

Diagnose the problem in 30 seconds

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The 10 fixes, from simplest to most technical

1. Put the cursor in a text box

Windows + H only opens voice typing when the cursor is blinking in a field you can type in: a Word document, the body of an email, your browser's address bar. Click in the field first, press Windows + H, then wait for the "Listening..." alert before you start speaking.

If voice typing opens but nothing gets typed in one particular app, try the same thing in Notepad. If dictation works there, the problem lies with that app, not Windows.

2. Allow microphone access

This is what triggers the message "Voice typing needs access to your microphone." Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, turn on Microphone access, and check just below that Let apps access your microphone is turned on too.

3. Make sure Windows is using the right microphone

A laptop with a headset plugged in often has two or three microphones, and Windows isn't necessarily listening to the one you think. In Settings > System > Sound, under Input, choose your microphone and speak: the level meter should move. If it stays flat, turn up the input volume or try another mic.

Voice typing also has its own setting: open it with Windows + H, click the gear icon, then Select default microphone.

Finally, check for hardware causes: a mic mute key on the keyboard or headset (often with an indicator light), or a Bluetooth headset still connected to your phone. And if recognition is inaccurate, Microsoft itself recommends switching from a built-in mic to a headset or an external microphone: see our picks of the best microphones for dictation.

4. Check the keyboard language (Windows + Space)

This is the least obvious cause: voice typing listens in your keyboard language, not in the language Windows is displayed in. Press Windows + Space to see which language is active. If it isn't on the list of supported languages, Windows shows "Voice typing isn't available in current language."

For English, that list includes only English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (New Zealand), English (United Kingdom) and English (United States). A keyboard set to English (Ireland) or English (South Africa) is therefore enough to block voice typing. The fix keeps your keys where they are:

1. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
2. Under Preferred languages, select Add a language and install English (United Kingdom) or English (United States).
3. In that language's options (the three dots, then Language options), add your usual keyboard layout, for example Irish.
4. Switch to the new language with Windows + Space, then start voice typing again.

The same logic applies if the text comes out in another language while you're speaking English: the active keyboard is set to that other language. Switch with Windows + Space before you dictate.

On the other hand, there's no need to install the optional speech features offered with a language: Microsoft says they aren't required for voice typing to work.

5. Check your connection and online speech recognition

Voice typing doesn't transcribe on your PC: it sends your voice to Microsoft's online speech services, which send back the text. So without internet, it can't work. Check two things:

• Settings > Privacy & security > Speech: Online speech recognition must be turned on. When it's off, only the speech features that run on the device remain, such as Narrator.
• The connection itself: a VPN, a firewall or a company network can block the service. To rule this out, switch to your phone's hotspot for a few minutes and try again.

6. Restart the Windows text input process

Voice typing relies on a small Windows process that also runs the touch keyboard and the emoji panel. If it hangs, voice typing opens but never starts listening. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Details tab, select TextInputHost.exe, then click End task: Windows restarts it the next time it's needed. If nothing changes, restart your PC.

7. Update Windows and your audio driver

Open Settings > Windows Update, install everything on offer, including optional audio driver updates, then restart. An outdated or corrupted microphone driver is enough to stop voice typing from picking anything up.

8. On a work PC, check the policies

If the Online speech recognition setting is grayed out, or voice typing shows "Speech service are managed by your organization" sic, online speech recognition has been turned off by a policy (Allow users to enable online speech recognition services). On a company PC, only your IT department can turn it back on, and a restart is required after the change.

On a personal PC, the block can come from a "privacy" tool that switched off Windows speech services: restore the setting in that tool, then restart.

9. If the Windows key doesn't respond

Try another shortcut, such as Windows + E, which opens File Explorer. If that doesn't work either, the Windows key itself is locked: many gaming keyboards have a Windows key lock (a dedicated key or an Fn combination), and some keyboard software disables the key in game mode.

If Windows + E works but Windows + H doesn't, another app may have taken over that shortcut. Close the utilities running in the system tray, next to the clock, one at a time to find the culprit.

10. Use the voice typing launcher and set up punctuation

Two other entry points skip the shortcut entirely: the microphone button on the touch keyboard, and the voice typing launcher, a small mic button that appears when you click in a text box. To turn it on: Windows + H, gear icon, Voice typing launcher.

In the same menu, Automatic punctuation adds periods and commas for you, and if you speak slowly, Wait time before acting gives you more time before a voice command is carried out. You can also dictate punctuation: "comma," "period" (or "full stop") and "question mark." To erase what you just said, say "Delete that."

Voice typing keeps turning off: normal, but annoying

If voice typing cuts out after a few seconds, nothing is broken. It turns itself off in three situations:

• after a few seconds of silence, while you look for the right words
• as soon as you type on the keyboard
• when you switch to another window

No setting lets you extend that timeout: you have to press Windows + H (or the launcher) again and carry on. For a quick sentence, that's acceptable. For a long email where you pause to think between ideas, it quickly gets tiring, and it's often what sends people looking for a dedicated app.

The limits of Windows voice typing

Even once it's fixed, Windows voice typing has limits that no setting removes:

• Internet required, voice sent to Microsoft. Transcription happens on Microsoft's servers. Microsoft says it uses your voice only to provide the service and doesn't store recordings without your permission.
• One language at a time: your keyboard's. To change the dictation language, you have to change the keyboard language, and regional variants missing from the list are excluded.
• Cutting out on silence, as described above.
• Automatic correction limited to some PCs. Fluid Dictation, which fixes grammar and removes filler words, is only available on Copilot+ PCs, and only in a few languages.
• Offline, you need a different feature. Windows 11 voice access (version 22H2 and later) transcribes on the device, but it supports only seven languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese. Designed to control the whole PC by voice, it takes time to learn. The older Windows Speech Recognition, for its part, was removed from Windows 11 in version 24H2.

The alternative: dictation that doesn't cut out and works offline

Ondula is a voice dictation app for Windows 10 and 11, available from the Microsoft Store. It's built to remove exactly these limits:

• You decide when dictation stops. Press your shortcut, speak, press it again. No cutoff at the first pause: you can think between sentences.
• The text goes into the active app: Word, Gmail, Outlook, Teams, a browser, a code editor.
• Two modes in one app. Cloud mode transcribes online; audio is sent only for the time needed to transcribe it and is not retained by Ondula. Local mode transcribes on your PC, with no internet: your voice never leaves the computer, and Ondula never switches to the cloud without your consent.
• More than 100 languages in Cloud mode, 25 in Local mode, selected in Ondula, without touching your keyboard settings.

No credit card is needed for the free minutes, and the Local unlock covers up to ten machines. Full details are on the pricing page, and our guide to local dictation explains how offline dictation works.

And if Windows voice typing does the job once it's fixed, stick with it: it's free and already installed.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Windows + H not working?

First check that the cursor is blinking in a text box, then that the Windows key responds: try Windows + E. If no Windows shortcut works, look for a Windows key lock on your keyboard. If only Windows + H does nothing, another app may have taken over the shortcut.

What does "Voice typing isn't available in current language" mean?

It means your keyboard language isn't one of the supported languages. For English, only the Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States variants are supported. Add English (United Kingdom) or English (United States) in Settings > Time & language > Language & region, keep your keyboard layout in that language's options, then select the language with Windows + Space.

Does Windows voice typing work offline?

No: it relies on Microsoft's online speech recognition. To dictate offline, Windows 11 offers voice access, limited to seven languages, and apps like Ondula transcribe entirely on your PC in Local mode.

How do I stop voice typing from turning off by itself?

There's no setting for that: it turns off after a few seconds of silence, as soon as you type on the keyboard or when you switch windows. Press Windows + H again to resume, or switch to an app that keeps listening until you stop it.

How do I turn on automatic punctuation?

Open voice typing with Windows + H, click the gear icon and turn on Automatic punctuation. You can also dictate punctuation marks: "comma," "period" (or "full stop") and "question mark."

Is Windows voice typing free?

Yes, it's built into Windows 10 and 11, with no subscription. The trade-off: it needs an internet connection and transcribes your voice on Microsoft's servers.

In summary

When Windows + H doesn't respond, start with the four basics: cursor in a text box, microphone allowed and correctly selected, supported keyboard language, working connection. Next, restart the text input process, install updates, check company policies and test the Windows key itself.

To go further, read our guide to voice dictation on Windows and our tips for more accurate recognition.

Want dictation that doesn't cut out at the first pause and works even without a connection? Get Ondula from the Microsoft Store: 10 minutes of Cloud every week with a free account, and 1 hour of Local per machine to try offline dictation.