Microsoft Swaps Out Speech Recognition with Voice Access

Microsoft is ending support for its Vista-era Speech Recognition tool and replacing it with Voice Access in Windows 11

The change will affect users of the Windows 10 and 11 operating systems. Though Microsoft has not yet announced what it plans to do for Windows 10 users, the company could either migrate Voice Access to Windows 10 or keep Speech Recognition on Windows 10 but stop updating it.

"Voice access in Windows 11 is a new experience that enables everyone, including people with mobility?disabilities, to control their PC and author text using their voice. For example, you can open and switch?between apps, browse the web, and read and author emails using your voice. Voice Access uses modern,?on-device speech recognition to accurately recognize speech and works without an internet connection," the software giant wrote on its website.

Microsoft introduced Speech Recognition in 2006 as an accessibility feature in Windows Vista.