What’s Speak for me on Windows 11, and how do I enable it?

• Speak for me allows Windows 11 to speak aloud with others for you. 
• The feature offers the option to create an avatar voice or preserve your voice. 
• It’s expected to arrive as part of the features coming to Windows 11 24H2.
• To enable the feature, open Settings > Accessibility > Speak for me and turn on the “Speak for me.”

UPDATED 2/26/2024: Microsoft is working on a new accessibility feature known as “Speak for me,” which is expected to arrive with the release of Windows 11 24H2 during the second half of 2024.

Inside the latest preview of Windows 11 (build 26052), X user @PhantomOfEarth has uncovered a new “Speak for me” page in the settings app that will allow you to type what you want to say and then have Windows 11 spoken aloud.

Although the feature is available in the operating system, it’s still a work in progress, and it doesn’t work. However, the description notes that this feature will allow you to create your voice avatar or preserve your voice to communicate with others.

It’s still unclear how this feature will work, but as I understand it, the feature could use AI to create a voice you can use to communicate with others. However, the description also notes an option that perhaps will allow you to record a set of words and use AI to create a new voice using a voice profile.

This feature is expected to work in in-person conversations and online meetings.

Enable Speak for me (preview)

The “Speak for me” appears hidden on Windows 11 build 26052 through the Canary or Dev Channel, and you can use the ViveTool app to enable it.

If you want to access the feature, download the ViveTool from this GitHub page, unzip the contents of the application, and from Command Prompt or PowerShell (admin), run the vivetool /enable /id:47123936 command.

You can learn more about how to use ViveTool to enable experimental features on Windows 11 in this guide.

Once you use the ViveTool to turn on the feature, you can enable it from Settings > Accessibility > Speak for me and turn on the “Speak for me” toggle switch.

As you turn on the feature, the wizard will launch with the option to choose a “natural voice” or create a “personal voice.”

If you create a new voice, the wizard will allow you to change some parameters, such as speed, pitch, and volume.

Once the feature is configured, you use the “Windows key + Ctrl + T” keyboard shortcut to turn the feature on and use the interface to type what you want to say, and the click the “Speak” button.

This feature is expected to be part of the Windows 11 24H2 upgrade that Microsoft plans to roll out at some point during the second half of 2024. Some of the expected features include Super Resolution, a new that uses AI to improve the framerates and image quality of games. 

The company is also working on Timeline, a new feature that will allow you to scroll back in time through apps and websites that Copilot understands you may need.

AI is also coming to Windows Search, allowing you to search files, settings, and apps using natural language. Copilot will now become content-aware based on the clipboard content, making it easier to perform different actions, whether the content is text or an image.

Furthermore, the next version of the operating system could introduce a new personalization feature, “Depth Effects,” which will use AI to convert a static image into a moving wallpaper by adding a parallax effect and more.

Update February 26, 2024: This guide has been updated with additional details about the setup wizard.