Fact · Dictation on Windows
Microsoft says Voice Access setup downloads language files for the chosen language to be used by on-device speech recognition, and that this step needs an internet connection.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“voice access begins downloading the required language files for the selected language to be used by on-device speech recognition. You'll need an internet connection to complete this step.”
Set up voice access, Microsoft Support, n.d., Download language files.
Open the original- What it measures
- After the download, Voice Access works without an internet connection.
- What it does not show
- The download may take a few minutes and must be restarted if you exit setup early.
Source
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