One of the smarter things Microsoft did with Windows 11/10 is to separate Cortana from Search. Cortana is now strictly a voice assistant. It was bound to happen because not everyone uses Cortana, and then it also paved the way for other assistants like Alexa to get on board Windows 11/10. Windows has introduced Voice Activation under Privacy. We will look at this feature and also see how to perform Voice Activation Troubleshooting.
Voice Activation in Windows 11/10
Open Start, and type Voice Activation. Click on Voice activation privacy settings listed in the result. In Settings, you can choose to allow apps to use a Microphone, i.e., listen in the background, and also choose which app has access to it.
When enabled, voice assistants continue listening through the microphone for the voice keyword. The app will activate itself for the keyword and react depending on your question.
Voice Activation Troubleshooting in Windows 11/10
Assuming you are using a voice assistant, but there is no response when you speak the keyword, go to Settings > Privacy > Voice Activation, and do the following:
- App permission to use the voice activation feature
- Voice activation under lock screen is not working
- Check individual permissions for Apps
- Run Microphone troubleshooter
1] App permission to use the voice activation feature
Make sure the toggle on to use Voice activation feature is turned on globally. Available under Allow apps to use voice activation, it makes sure the microphone is available for apps that use this feature.
Read: Voice access not working on Windows
2] Voice activation under lock screen is not working
If you use the voice assistant even under the lock screen, Microsoft has a specific setting that you should turn on. Make sure to toggle on the option which says Allow apps to use voice activation when this device is locked.
However, do remember that the voice assistants are not locked to recognize only your voice. The answer to anybody who starts using the voice keyword. The chances are that anybody can get a bit of detail right from the lock screen.
3] Check individual permissions for Apps
The page lists all the voice assistants installed on Windows. If it is not working, you need to check permissions for the voice keyword and the option to work under locked conditions.
4] Run Microphone troubleshooter
If the settings are in place, we recommend you to go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Make sure to toggle on these options.
- Allow apps to access your microphone
- Enable microphone access for the voice assistant
- If it’s a desktop app, make sure to enable the toggle on at the end.
You can also check on the preferred microphone using our guide on Preferred Setup for Microphone for apps.
Let us know if these Voice Activation Troubleshooting tips helped to resolve the problem with the assistant.
