Does Windows Voice Access work offline?

Yes. Windows Voice Access works without an internet connection, but only after its one-time setup is finished on a connected PC. Once the language files are on the PC, Voice Access recognizes speech on the device, so you can control apps and write text with Wi-Fi turned off ^{1 2}. It is a different tool from Win+H voice typing, which needs the internet ³. For that answer, see whether Windows voice typing works offline.

Voice Access works offline on Windows 11, version 22H2 and later

Microsoft describes Voice Access as a Windows 11 feature that lets you control your PC and write text by voice without an internet connection ¹. It is available in Windows 11, version 22H2 and later ⁴. Microsoft lists no earlier version, so do not plan on Voice Access for an older PC without checking first.

The offline part comes from on-device recognition. Microsoft says Voice Access uses modern, on-device speech recognition, and that it works even without the internet ². So once it is running, recognition happens on the PC, and a dropped connection should not stop it.

The first-time setup needs the internet

The catch is the first run. Microsoft says the initial setup needs an internet connection ⁵. Part of that setup is a language download. When you select Agree and continue, Voice Access downloads the language files for on-device recognition, and that download needs a connection ⁶.

So the offline test means something only after the download has finished. Do the setup on a normal connection, then switch Wi-Fi off and try it. The steps below use the menu names from Microsoft's setup page.

1. Connect the PC to the internet.
2. Select Start, then Settings, then Accessibility, then Speech.
3. Turn on the Voice access switch.
4. Select Agree and continue, and wait for the language files to download.
5. Turn off Wi-Fi, then dictate a few sentences and try a few commands from the Voice Access command list.

Where Voice Access does not work offline

The answer changes in four cases. Use this table to check your own situation.

For Windows 10, see Voice Access on Windows 10. Windows Speech Recognition is a different and older feature, so read its glossary entry before you follow an older guide.

Fluid dictation depends on a Copilot+ PC

Fluid dictation is a Voice Access feature, but it is available only on Copilot+ PCs, not on every Windows 11 PC ⁷. If your PC is not a Copilot+ PC, the standard Voice Access above is the offline option. For a plain explanation, see what fluid dictation is.

We found no published accuracy figure for offline use

We found no published word error rate for Voice Access, from Microsoft or from an independent tester. So no figure tells you how many words it gets wrong. Measure it yourself: dictate two minutes of normal writing with the network off, count the wrong, missing and invented words, then repeat with background noise. For how the score is calculated, see word error rate.

What to do

• If your PC runs Windows 11, version 22H2 or later: finish setup online, then test Voice Access with Wi-Fi off before you depend on it.
• If you need dictation into any app with no connection at all: use an offline app instead. Our open-source dictation apps for Windows question compares the options.
• If you are choosing between routes: our guide to offline speech to text on Windows lays out what each route needs, and the Dictation on Windows overview covers the rest.