Using Microsoft Edge Canary
Microsoft Edge Canary is the version of Edge with all the latest features. Some don’t make it to the final release version that’s pre-installed on Windows 10. However, others are a hit, which should definitely be the case with voice typing in Microsoft Edge. The quickest and easiest way to start using voice typing is to install Microsoft Edge Canary. It’s free and updates almost daily with new features and tweaks. It’s the most current option, though it can be glitchy sometimes. You can also check out the Dev and Beta versions. Microsoft provides all three versions for free for you to try out. This won’t replace your current version of Edge. Instead, it installs as a separate browser. Once you’ve installed Canary, it’ll look almost identical to your current Edge browser, but there are some fun hidden features if you know where to look. For the purposes of this article, let’s focus on voice typing. Right-click in a text field, such as the address bar or search box. The normal version of Edge looks like the following image. In Microsoft Edge Canary, the menu looks a little different with the addition of a Voice Typing option: Click it or press Win + H to turn on voice recognition. If you don’t see the menu option, you may need to enable online speech recognition. Go to “Start -> Settings -> Privacy -> Speech.” Toggle Online Speech Recognition to On. You may need to restart Edge Canary for the changes to take effect. When you click Voice Typing, you’ll see a box prompting you to speak. Depending on the latest release of Canary, this could appear at the top or bottom of your screen.
Using Voice Typing Outside Canary
Don’t want to install another browser just to use voice typing in Microsoft Edge? While I’m the curious type that doesn’t mind their browser updating and changing almost daily, I know most people probably prefer more stability. The good news is you can still use the voice typing option in the standard version of Microsoft Edge. But, as you may notice when you right-click a text field, you don’t get a menu option for it. Without the menu option, you also don’t get to see the keyboard shortcut to turn on voice typing. Open Edge, click a text field, and press Win + H to turn on voice typing. It’s important to note that voice typing doesn’t just work within Edge. It’ll work on other Chromium-based browsers too, such as Chrome. If the keyboard shortcut doesn’t work, check that “Online Speech Recognition” is turned on. You may also need to update to the latest version of Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge. You can update Edge by opening it, clicking the menu in the top-right corner, and choosing “Help and Feedback.” Select “About Edge.” This triggers Edge to look for new updates and update itself automatically. If you don’t want to use online speech recognition for other apps on your Windows 10 machine, use the Speech Recognition app, which is included in Windows 10. As popular as voice typing is, the menu option should be available in the standard Edge version soon. Until then, just remember the key combo and you’re all set.
