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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo enable hands-free Copilot on a Windows 11 desktop, open the Microsoft Copilot app, go to … > Settings > General (or Settings and more > Quick View in another layout), and switch on Listen for “Hey Copilot.” The app must be running and the PC must be unlocked. Say “Hey Copilot” to start a voice chat.
What “Hey Copilot” does
“Hey Copilot” is an opt-in wake word for the Microsoft Copilot app on Windows desktop. Instead of opening the app with a keyboard shortcut or clicking a microphone button, you say the phrase to bring up Copilot Voice and begin speaking. Microsoft’s current Support guidance applies to free Copilot Chat as well as Copilot accounts signed in with a personal Microsoft account or a Microsoft 365 work or school account.
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The wake word is not a separate Windows assistant and does not work as a system-wide command for every application. It starts a Copilot voice chat when the Copilot app is already running, including when the app is minimized or in the background. Your PC must be powered on and unlocked, and the voice service needs an internet connection.
Requirements and availability
- Windows desktop: The feature is for the Microsoft Copilot app on Windows 11 desktop.
- Copilot app: The app must be open somewhere in Windows. It can be minimized or behind another window, but it cannot be completely closed.
- Signed-in account: Sign in with a personal Microsoft account or a Microsoft 365 work or school account. Microsoft also documents the feature for free Copilot Chat accounts.
- Unlocked PC: A new Hey Copilot session cannot start while the Windows screen is locked.
- Internet connection: Voice responses are an online service, so the PC must be connected to the internet.
- English wake phrase: Wake-word detection responds to “Hey Copilot” in English. Once the chat is active, you can continue in any language supported by Copilot Voice.
A newer Windows 11 computer may already include Copilot. If yours does not, Microsoft’s Windows access guidance directs you to install the Copilot app from Microsoft Store. No Copilot-key keyboard, headset, external microphone, pen, or other accessory is required for wake-word activation.
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How to turn on Hey Copilot
1. Open and sign in to Copilot
Launch the Microsoft Copilot app from the Windows Start menu, taskbar, or another shortcut. Sign in when prompted with your personal Microsoft account or your Microsoft 365 work or school account. Wake-word activation is tied to the desktop app, so signing in only through a browser does not substitute for having the Windows app running.
2. Find the wake-word setting
Microsoft currently shows more than one navigation label for Copilot settings. Use the path that matches your app:
- Primary layout: Select …, choose Settings, open General, then find Listen for “Hey Copilot.”
- Alternate layout: Select Settings and more, open Quick View, and locate the same Listen for “Hey Copilot” switch.
These labels can vary by app version or account experience. If neither path looks identical, open the current Copilot settings and search for the phrase Listen for “Hey Copilot”; the control has the same wording even when its surrounding menu changes.
3. Enable the switch
Turn on Listen for “Hey Copilot.” The feature is opt-in, so it remains off until you deliberately enable it. Windows may show microphone activity in the system tray while the wake-word feature is enabled and the Copilot app is running.
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4. Start a hands-free chat
With Copilot still running and the PC unlocked, say “Hey Copilot” in English. Copilot opens its voice controls and begins listening for your request. Speak normally after the controls appear. To stop listening before the session ends, mute the controls or dismiss them.
If Copilot is not installed
Install the Microsoft Copilot app from Microsoft Store using Microsoft’s Windows access instructions. After installation, open it, sign in, and follow the settings path above. The Copilot key on some keyboards and the Windows + C shortcut can open Copilot or Quick View, but neither is needed for wake-word activation.
A supported pen can also be configured so its shortcut button behaves like the Copilot key. That is an optional physical shortcut for opening Copilot; it does not replace the Listen for “Hey Copilot” setting and is not a prerequisite for saying the wake word.
What happens after you say the wake word
The app does not need to be the front window
You do not have to remain in the Copilot app window while an active conversation continues. Copilot can remain minimized or in the background. The requirement is that the app is running and the PC stays unlocked. You still need to speak where the microphone can hear you, and another application playing audio can block a new Hey Copilot activation.
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Locked screens and audio playback block new activation
Hey Copilot cannot start a new voice chat while the Windows screen is locked. Microsoft also says a new session will not begin while another app is playing audio. Unlock the PC and stop or pause the other app’s audio before trying again.
Inactivity ends the voice chat
Microsoft describes a one-minute inactivity sequence. After 30 seconds without speech, Copilot warns that the session will end in another 30 seconds. After one minute without speech, the voice chat ends. Background noise can keep an active chat from timing out, so a session may remain open when the room is noisy. You can mute or dismiss the controls sooner instead of waiting for the timer.
Wake-word privacy and microphone behavior
Microsoft says a small on-device service listens for the wake phrase using a 10-second audio buffer held in memory. That buffer is not recorded or stored. The local detector is intended to recognize “Hey Copilot,” rather than continuously sending every nearby word or sound to the cloud.
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When the wake phrase is detected, audio from that point is sent to the Copilot voice service so Copilot can process the conversation and answer. This means the wake-word check is local, but the ensuing voice chat involves cloud processing and an internet connection. It would be inaccurate to describe the entire feature as audio that never leaves the PC.
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Windows indicates microphone use in the system tray while Hey Copilot is enabled and the Copilot app is running. Microsoft’s current Support article says user and Copilot audio are not stored. Once a voice chat has started, its data is handled under the same voice-chat behavior as other Copilot Voice conversations.
The Microsoft Copilot Team described the rollout in a Windows Insider Blog announcement dated May 14, 2025: “This opt-in feature gives people a new way to easily start a conversation with Copilot Voice, anytime the feature is enabled, and their PC is unlocked.” That post explains the feature’s origin; the current Support instructions are the better authority for present-day setup and behavior.
Language support: what is and is not translated
The wake phrase itself must be spoken in English. Saying an equivalent phrase in another language will not start a new chat according to Microsoft’s voice FAQ. After Copilot Voice has opened, the conversation can continue in any language that Copilot Voice supports. If a non-English request is ignored before the controls appear, repeat the English wake phrase first, then speak your preferred language.
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| Invocation method | How it works | Hands-free? | Unlocked device required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hey Copilot wake word | Enable Listen for “Hey Copilot”, keep the Copilot app running, and say the phrase. | Yes, after the one-time setting is enabled. | Yes. A locked screen cannot start a new session. |
| Copilot key | Press a keyboard’s Copilot key to open Copilot or its Quick View, then start voice chat. | No; it requires a key press. | Use requires an unlocked Windows session. |
| Windows + C | Press the keyboard shortcut to open Copilot or Quick View, then choose voice controls. | No; it requires a key press. | Use requires an unlocked Windows session. |
| Configurable pen shortcut | Assign a supported pen’s shortcut button to act like the Copilot key, then press it. | No; it requires pressing the pen button. | Use requires an unlocked Windows session. |
These options solve different problems. The wake word is the only hands-free method in this list. The keyboard and pen methods are useful when you do not want the microphone listening for the phrase or when you need to open Copilot deliberately.
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Troubleshooting Hey Copilot
The toggle is missing
- Confirm that you opened the Windows Copilot app, not only a browser tab.
- Check both documented navigation layouts: … > Settings > General and Settings and more > Quick View.
- Search the app settings for Listen for “Hey Copilot”; menu names can differ by app version or account experience.
- Sign in with a supported personal Microsoft account or Microsoft 365 work or school account.
The wake word does nothing
- Make sure the switch is on and the Copilot app is running, even if minimized.
- Unlock the PC. Hey Copilot cannot start a new chat from the lock screen.
- Stop audio playback in another application, because Microsoft says active playback can prevent a new activation.
- Say the wake phrase in English, then wait for the voice controls before giving the request.
- Check the Windows system tray for the microphone-use indicator while Copilot is running with the feature enabled.
- Verify the internet connection; voice responses require online access.
The conversation ends unexpectedly
Silence triggers the inactivity timer: a warning appears after 30 seconds and the voice chat ends after one minute. Background noise can interfere with timeout detection. Keep speaking when you want the session to continue, or mute and dismiss the controls when you are finished.
A voice request needs a feature that is unavailable
Microsoft notes that voice chat does not include every text-chat capability. In particular, image or file creation and at-mentioning agents are not available in voice chat. Switch to text chat for those tasks. Voice chats may also have session limits, so a long conversation can end even when you are actively using it.
What the feature does not require
- No paid physical product is required.
- No Copilot-key keyboard is required; the key is only an alternate way to open Copilot.
- No configurable pen is required; pen shortcuts are optional.
- No external microphone or headset is specified as a requirement by Microsoft’s setup instructions.
The essential setup is the Copilot Windows app, a supported signed-in account, the enabled wake-word switch, an unlocked PC, and an internet connection for the voice service.
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