How to Dictate Offline with Voice Access in Windows 11
For built-in offline dictation on Windows 11, set up Voice Access while you're online. It downloads language files once and uses on-device speech recognition for supported languages. Standard Win+H opens Windows Voice Typing, which uses online speech recognition. Microsoft documents Voice Access for Windows 11 version 22H2 and later. Voice Access setup · Windows Voice Typing
Set up Voice Access before you go offline
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Speech and turn on Voice access. You can also search for Voice Access from Start.
- On the setup screen, select a supported language and wait for its files to download. Choose your actual microphone when prompted.
- Open Notepad. Start with a blank document and make sure the cursor is in the text area. Check the Voice Access bar at the top of the screen. If it's sleeping, select its microphone control to start listening.
- Use the Voice Access dictation mode if you want your words treated as text while you're writing. To navigate or issue commands again, use the appropriate mode in Voice Access. Get started with Voice Access · Dictate text with Voice Access
Test what happens when the connection drops
Dictate “The draft is ready for Tuesday” while connected. Once you see that sentence in Notepad, disconnect the test computer when it is convenient to do so and dictate a different sentence, such as “The train leaves at nine.” New text arriving in the local editor shows that your configured Voice Access workflow can recognize speech without an internet connection.
| What happens | What to check |
|---|---|
| Setup asks for language files while offline | Reconnect, download the files for that language, and repeat the test. |
| The bar stays asleep | Check the bar's microphone state and switch to listening. |
| Voice Access listens but nothing reaches the editor | Confirm the cursor is in the editor, check the selected microphone, and try the same sentence in dictation mode. |
| The test works in Notepad but your website is unavailable | The destination site still needs a connection. Save the draft locally and transfer it later. |
If the model fails to download even when you are connected, Microsoft's setup troubleshooting covers language packages and Store connectivity. Microsoft's language file troubleshooting
Choose the workflow for the job
Voice Access is useful when you also want to navigate Windows by speaking commands. If your main job is typing into an existing document or message with a shortcut, Voconly is another local option. Download a speech model first and test the plain transcript. If you add a text cleanup model, check whether that provider also runs locally before relying on it offline. Windows offline voice input guide · Voconly scenario configuration
Voconly · Try shortcut-based local dictation
Choose a speech model and test a line in Notepad before using it in Word or a message.