Fact · Voice privacy and security
Microsoft says device-based speech recognition in Windows 11 processes the voice on the device and sends no voice data to Microsoft.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Processes your voice locally on your device. No voice data is sent to Microsoft.”
Speech, voice activation, inking, typing, and privacy, Microsoft, Microsoft Support, n.d., Speech recognition section, device-based option.
Open the original- What it measures
- Microsoft lists two modes in Windows 11: device-based recognition and online recognition. Turning off online recognition leaves only device-based features such as Narrator.
- What it does not show
- The page does not list which dictation apps use device-based recognition, so an organization should test each app's network traffic before relying on this mode.