Using Speech in Windows Mixed Reality
You can use your voice to get around Windows Mixed Reality faster. Taking a quick photo, opening an app, even teleporting without a controller are all a word away. For an easy way to type, try dictation mode on the mixed reality keyboard.
Having trouble with Speech? Get help
Note
- When Speech is turned on, Windows Mixed Reality is always listening. When you’re connected to the Internet, we send everything you say to the cloud so Microsoft speech services can recognize even more of your commands.
- Speech commands are not supported in all languages. Learn more
- Bluetooth headsets and speakers are not supported in Windows Mixed Reality.
See it, say it
In the Windows Mixed Reality home, if you see a word, you can often use it as a speech command. For instance, just say the name of a button to select it. If you don’t see a name, point your motion controller at the button to find out what to say. For Xbox gamepads, rest your gaze on the button.
General speech commands
Use the following speech commands throughout Windows Mixed Reality to get around faster. Some commands use the gaze cursor, which you’ll bring up by saying “select.”
| To do this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Select | Say “select” to bring up the gaze cursor. Then, turn your head to position the cursor on the thing you want to select, and say “select” again. |
| Open the Start menu | Go to Start |
| Leave an immersive app | Say "Go to Start" to bring up the quick actions menu, then say "Mixed reality home." |
| Turn Flashlight on/off | Flashlight on / Flashlight off |
| Teleport | Turn your head toward the place you want to go, and then say “teleport.” (For more precise targeting, first say “select” to bring up the gaze cursor, then say “teleport.”) |
| Turn to the left or right | Turn left / turn right |
| Turn 180 degrees | Turn around |
| Move forward | Move forward / walk forward |
| Back up | Move back / walk back |
| Move to the left | Move left / walk left |
| Move to the right | Move right / walk right |
3D object commands
Gaze at a 3D object, hologram, or app window to use these commands:
| To do this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Make it bigger | Bigger |
| Make it smaller | Smaller |
| Turn it to face you | Face me |
| Get it ready to move - it will follow your gaze | Move this |
| Place it when you're done moving it | Place |
App bar commands
Gaze at an app window or a 3D object to use these commands:
| To do this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Close an app or 3D object | Close |
| Adjust something (resize or move) | Adjust |
| Stop adjusting | Done |
| Hide the app bar on a 3D object | Hide menu |
| Show the app bar on a 3D object | Show Menu |
| Go back to the previous screen or page in an app that has a Go back button | Go back |
| Use your Xbox controller as a gamepad, rather than as a mixed reality controller, in the app you’re looking at | Use as gamepad |
| Use your Xbox controller as a mixed reality controller (when you’ve been using it as a gamepad) | Use with gaze |
Start menu commands
Gaze at the Start menu to use these commands:
| To do this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Go to the All Apps list | All apps |
| Move up or down on Start or All apps | Page up/down |
| Go back to Start menu from All apps | Go back |
| Take a photo | Camera |
| Take a video | Video |
| Show the headset view in Mixed Reality Portal on your desktop | Preview |
| Open the volume control on Start | Change volume |
| Mute | Mute |
| Unmute | Unmute |
| Close the Start menu | Close or cancel |
Hey Cortana commands
Say "Hey Cortana,” then use one of the following commands:
| To do this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Find out what you can say to Cortana | What can I say? |
| Increase/decrease volume | Turn the volume up/down |
| Mute/unmute | Mute/unmute |
| Start an app | Launch [app name] |
| Open a website in Microsoft Edge | Open [website name] (for example, “open bing.com”) |
| Take a photo | Take picture |
| Start recording a video | Start recording |
| Stop recording a video | Stop recording |
| Show the time | What time is it? |
| Open the Start menu | Open Start menu |
| Set a timer | Set a timer |
| Set a reminder | Set a reminder |
Note
- Cortana is not available in all regions and languages. Learn more.
- If Cortana isn't responding to "Hey Cortana," select Settings > Privacy > Speech and make Online speech recognition is turned on.
- If you turn Cortana off, "Hey Cortana" voice commands won't be available, but you'll still be able to use other commands (like "select" and "teleport")
Keyboard dictation
Switch to dictation mode anytime the keyboard is active for an easy way to type. Select microphone on the keyboard—or just say “start dictating”—to get started.
Note
The mixed reality keyboard is only available in English, but you can use dictation in any of the supported Windows Mixed Reality languages.
Keyboard dictation commands
| To do this | Say this |
|---|---|
| Close the keyboard | Close |
| Start dictation | Start dictating |
| Stop dictation | Stop dictating |
| Delete what you've dictated | Delete that |
| Select everything in the dictation box | Select all |
Punctuation
You’ll need to say the names of the punctuation you want to use. For instance, you might say "Hey comma what are you up to question mark."
Here are the punctuation keywords you can use:
- Period, comma, question mark, exclamation point/exclamation mark
- New line/new paragraph
- Semicolon, colon
- Open quote(s), close quote(s)
- Hashtag, smiley/smiley face, frowny, winky
- Dollar, percent
Sometimes it's helpful to spell out things like email addresses. For instance, to dictate example@outlook.com, you'd say "E X A M P L E at outlook dot-com."
To stop dictating, select Done.