Activate "start listening "in Microsoft copilot.

Dear David Kelley

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A. I'm Haien from Microsoft Q&A.

I understand you're having trouble activating the "Start Listening" feature in Microsoft Copilot on your Windows 11 PC, even after reinstalling the program. It's frustrating when a core feature like voice input isn't working as expected, especially when Copilot generally functions well otherwise. The issue you're describing, where Copilot prompts you to "Try saying start listening" but doesn't respond to the voice command, points towards a problem with microphone input, Copilot's access to the microphone, or a specific setting preventing voice activation.

Here are some effective ways that you can try:

Solution 1: Check Microphone Setting

Option 1: Check Microphone Permissions

• Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone > Ensure Microphone access is turned On for this device and Allow apps to access your microphone is enabled.

• Scroll down, find Microsoft Copilot, and toggle it On if available.

• Open Copilot, click the microphone icon, and try saying "Start Listening" again.

For additional information about app permission microphone in Windows, please visit this article to know more: Turn on app permissions for your microphone in Windows - Microsoft Support

Option 2: Set the Correct Default Microphone

• Right-click on the Speaker icon in your taskbar (bottom right) > select "Sound settings." > Under the "Input" section > check your "Choose a device for speaking or recording" dropdown. > Select the microphone you want to use for Copilot (e.g., your headset mic, laptop's built-in mic, webcam mic). > Speak into the microphone and check the "Input volume" bar - Ensure its volume is sufficiently high

• Restart Copilot and try "Start Listening" again.

For additional information about set up and test microphones, please visit this article to know more: How to set up and test microphones in Windows - Microsoft Support

Option 3: Check Windows Speech Recognition and Language Settings

• Go to Settings (Windows key + I) > "Time & language" on the left sidebar > Click on "Speech." > Under "Speech language," ensure the language matches your Windows display language and the language you are speaking (e.g., "English (United States)").

• OR try running the "Get started with voice access" or "Set up a microphone" wizard here to recalibrate or confirm your microphone is working for Windows' general speech features.

• Restart Copilot or your PC.

Option 4: Update Audio Drivers

• Right-click on the Start button > select Device Manager > Expand "Audio inputs and outputs." > Right-click on your microphone > select "Update driver." > Choose "Search automatically for drivers."

• If Windows doesn't find a new driver, visit your PC manufacturer's official website > download the latest audio driver specifically for your model and Windows 11. Install it.

• Restart your PC after installing any driver updates.

Solution 2: Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter

• Open Settings (Windows key + I). > Go to "System" on the left sidebar. > Click on "Troubleshoot" > "Other troubleshooters." > Find "Playing Audio" > click "Run." > Follow the on-screen prompts.

• Even better, look for a "Recording Audio" troubleshooter if available.

For additional information about this solution, please visit this article to know more: Windows Update Troubleshooter - Microsoft Support

Solution 3: Restart Copilot Process

Option 1: Use Task Manager

• Close Copilot.

• Right-click on the Start button > select "Task Manager." > Go to the "Processes" tab.

• Look for any processes named "Microsoft Copilot," "Windows Copilot," or potentially "Cortana" (if Copilot is still integrated with it). > Right-click on the process and select "End task."

• Re-open Copilot and test "Start Listening."

Option 2: Reset Copilot

• Press Win + R > type wsreset.exe > press Enter to reset the Store cache.

• Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps > find Microsoft Copilot > click the three dots and select Advanced options > Reset.

• Reopen Copilot and test the microphone feature again

• If you've already tried these steps and are still encountering issues, please reply to this thread with the requested details so we can investigate further and ensure your subscription is activated properly. Also, please keep me updated with anything new that you were try to each option.
• If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".
• Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to resolving this quickly for you.

Warm regards,

Haien - MSFT | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

The microphone is working fine. The green input bar shows good audio. I have 2 PCs(one with Win10 and one with win11) and both are doing the same thing. Copilot dictates just fine but wont "start listening" when I say it.

Dear David Kelley

Thanks for getting back to me and for providing that extra detail. The fact that the microphone is working perfectly for other things, like dictation within Copilot itself, is a key piece of information. It tells us that the issue isn't with the microphone hardware or its basic functionality, but rather with a very specific part of Copilot's voice activation feature. This also helps explain why it's happening on both your Windows 10 and Windows 11 machines.

The problem seems to be an issue with the voice activation trigger itself. While the microphone is successfully picking up your voice and the program can use that audio for dictation, the specific "Start Listening" command isn't being recognized as the trigger to initiate a conversation. This can be caused by a setting that's not enabled, a bug in the specific Copilot update you have, or a conflict with another voice-activated feature.

The core issue is that the "Start Listening" voice command is not being recognized by Copilot, even though the microphone is working for other functions. This could be due to:

• "Hey, Copilot" voice activation is not enabled in Copilot's settings.
• A conflicting voice-activated feature is running and intercepting the command.
• A bug or issue specific to a recent Copilot update is preventing the wake word from functioning correctly.

To help you further, please allow me to ask a few questions so that I can approach your problem more precisely:  

• Have you tried the methods I suggested above? If so, what errors did it show?
• Have you restarted Copilot and tried running the Windows Troubleshooter? If so, do you see any new error pop-up?

Since you are using 2 PCs with Windows 10 and Windows 11, here are some effective ways for both version that you can consider trying to fix your Copilot's listening problem:

Solutions for Windows 10:

The "Hey, Copilot" voice activation feature may not be available on all versions of Windows 10, as it was primarily rolled out for Windows 11 first and is still in a gradual rollout. However, it's worth checking for the same setting in Copilot.

Open Copilot.

• Look for a Settings or profile icon within the Copilot window > Check for a voice activation toggle. If you find one, enable it.

Reset Copilot and Clear Cache:

• Press Win + R > type wsreset.exe > press Enter to clear the Microsoft Store cache.
• Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > search for Microsoft Copilot > click the three dots > select Advanced options > click Reset.
• Reopen Copilot and test the feature.

Update Windows and Copilot:

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates and install any available updates for Windows and Copilot.
• Restart your PC and test again.

Solutions for Windows 11: 

Enable "Hey, Copilot" Voice Activation

• Open Copilot > Click on your profile avatar (likely a picture or initials) in the bottom-left corner of the Copilot window.
• Go to Settings > Under the "Voice Mode" > toggle for "Listen for 'Hey, Copilot' to start a conversation". Make sure this is turned ON.
• After enabling this, try saying "Hey, Copilot" instead of "Start Listening" to see if it triggers the conversation mode.

Reset Copilot and Clear Cache:

• Press Win + R > type wsreset.exe > press Enter to clear the Microsoft Store cache.
• Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > search for Microsoft Copilot > click the three dots > select Advanced options > click Reset.
• Reopen Copilot and test the feature.

Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter

• Open Settings (Windows key + I). > Go to "System" on the left sidebar. > Click on "Troubleshoot" > "Other troubleshooters." > Find "Playing Audio" > click "Run." > Follow the on-screen prompts. Even better, look for a "Recording Audio" troubleshooter if available.

For additional information about this solution, please visit this article to know more: Windows Update Troubleshooter - Microsoft Support

Your satisfaction is Microsoft's priority

• If you've already tried these steps and are still encountering issues, please reply to this thread with the requested details so we can investigate further and ensure your subscription is activated properly. Also, please keep me updated with anything new that you were try to each option.
• If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 
• Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to resolving this quickly for you. 

Warm regards,

Haien - MSFT | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist