Back to Blog
Windows Voice Typing (Win+H) Not Working? Fixes in the Order Microsoft Lists Them

Windows Voice Typing (Win+H) Not Working? Fixes in the Order Microsoft Lists Them

Dictāta TeamBy Dictāta Team

Table of Contents

8

When Windows voice typing (Win+H) shows a microphone but no text appears, the cause is almost always one of a few settings. This page follows Microsoft's troubleshooting page for voice typing, which applies to Windows 11. Work through the checks in order.

1. Check the microphone Windows is using

  1. Select Start and choose Settings > System.
  2. Select Sound > Input and choose the device you want to speak into.
  3. With an external microphone, make sure it is properly connected to the PC.

If you have several inputs (a webcam, a headset, a laptop microphone), the wrong one is often selected.

2. Allow voice typing to use the microphone

If you see an error saying voice typing needs access to your microphone:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
  2. Make sure Microphone access is turned on.

3. Check the language

If the message says voice typing isn't available in the current language, Microsoft's page links to a list of supported languages and says to install the one you want. To switch between installed languages, press the Windows logo key + Spacebar.

4. Text doesn't appear after you speak

  • Adjust the microphone input level. Microsoft links a guide on setting up and testing microphones in Windows.
  • If you use the built-in microphone, try again with a headset or an external microphone.

5. Words are entered incorrectly

  • Move somewhere quieter.
  • Make sure the correct language is selected (Windows logo key + Spacebar).
  • Try a headset or an external microphone instead of the built-in one.

6. Rule out the connection

Microsoft's troubleshooting page does not list an internet requirement. Several third-party guides do describe Win+H as using online speech recognition, so confirming that you are online takes a few seconds and removes one possible cause.

If none of this helps

Voice typing in Windows inserts what you say into the active text field. If you want other things from dictation, such as a personal glossary, voice commands, translation while dictating or speech recognition that runs on your own computer, that is outside what the Windows feature is documented to do.

Dictāta for Windows is one option. It installs from this website, runs in any app with a hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), and has a Local mode where recognition runs on your PC and audio is not sent anywhere. Local needs about 475 MB for the speech model download, at least 6 GB of RAM and about 1.2 GB of free disk space. See the comparison with Windows dictation for what each one does.