This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable online speech recognition services for your account or all users in Windows 11.
Microsoft provides both a device-based speech recognition feature and cloud-based (online) speech recognition technologies.
Turning on the Online speech recognition setting lets apps use Microsoft cloud-based speech recognition.
When you use cloud-based speech recognition technologies from Microsoft—whether enabled by the Online speech recognition setting or while you interact with HoloLens or voice typing—Microsoft collects and uses your voice recordings to provide the service by creating a text transcription of the spoken words in the voice data. Microsoft will not store, sample, or listen to your voice recordings without your permission.
You can use device-based speech recognition without sending your voice data to Microsoft. However, the Microsoft cloud-based speech recognition technologies provide more accurate recognition than the device-based speech recognition. When the Online speech recognition setting is turned off, speech services that don’t rely on the cloud and only use device-based recognition—like the Narrator app or the Windows Speech Recognition app—will still work, and Microsoft won’t collect any voice data.
References:
Speech, voice activation, inking, typing, and privacy - Microsoft Support
Learn more about the privacy settings for speech, voice activation, inking, and typing in Windows.
support.microsoft.com
How does Microsoft protect my privacy while improving its speech recognition technology? - Microsoft Support
Learn more about what happens when you choose to contribute voice data to Microsoft to help improve speech recognition for all customers.
support.microsoft.com
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off Online Speech Recognition for Current User in Settings
- Option Two: Turn On or Off Online Speech Recognition for Current User using REG file
- Option Three: Enable or Disable Online Speech Recognition for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
- Option Four: Enable or Disable Online Speech Recognition for All Users using REG file
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Privacy & security on the left side, and click/tap on Speech on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On (default) or Off Online speech recognition for what you want. (see screenshots below)
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you want.
2 Turn On Online Speech Recognition
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_ON_online_speech_recognition.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Settings\OnlineSpeechPrivacy]
"HasAccepted"=dword:000000013 Turn Off Online Speech Recognition
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_OFF_online_speech_recognition.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Settings\OnlineSpeechPrivacy]
"HasAccepted"=dword:000000004 Save the REG file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
All editions can use Option Four to configure the same policy.
1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
2 Navigate to the policy location below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options
3 In the right pane of Regional and Language Options in the Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Allow users to enable online speech recognition services policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)
4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you want.
5 Enable Online Speech Recognition
This is the default setting to allow using Option One and Option Two.
A) Select (dot) Not Configured. (see screenshot below)
B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below.
6 Disable Online Speech Recognition
This will override and prevent using Option One and Option Two.
A) Select (dot) Disabled. (see screenshot below)
B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below.
7 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you want.
2. Enable Online Speech Recognition
This is the default setting to allow using Option One and Option Two.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Enable_online_speech_recognition.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\InputPersonalization]
"AllowInputPersonalization"=- 3. Disable Online Speech Recognition
This will override and prevent using Option One and Option Two.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Disable_online_speech_recognition.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\InputPersonalization]
"AllowInputPersonalization"=dword:000000004 Save the REG file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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