Alexa, What’s Copilot Voice? How to Talk to Your Computer in 2027
Plenty of people start the day by asking Alexa to play their favourite music or order their weekly shop, but few realise they can now do the same with their Windows computers.
With Microsoft Copilot on Windows 11 you can now interact with your computer using your voice. For many this will be a considerable time-saver, so let’s dig into what Copilot Voice is, where it’s come from and how to use it.
What is Microsoft Copilot Voice?
Microsoft Copilot Voice is Microsoft’s voice interaction capability that allows users to speak naturally to Copilot rather than type prompts.
Using the wake word “Hey Copilot”, you can ask Copilot to “summarise the last document I worked on” or “Hey Copilot, summarise my emails” and Copilot will respond conversationally.
Wait, didn’t Microsoft try this before?
Well actually, twice…
Why is talking to Copilot any different to Clippy or Cortana?
Microsoft has learned from Clippy and Cortana, meaning Copilot Voice is more subtle, but integrated and smarter:
- Clippy interrupted you. It appeared whether you wanted it or not. Copilot needs to be selected, or the wake word called.
- Clippy relied on pre-written answers. It pointed you to a fixed library of help articles unlike Copilot which is built on complex large language models, so it can handle open-ended questions, understand context and work out what you actually mean.
- Cortana understood commands but couldn’t generate answers. It matched what you said to a fixed set of tasks, such as reminders, weather and web searches. Copilot can write responses from scratch.
- Cortana lived on the sidelines. Copilot works alongside the apps you use every day, like Edge, Word and Excel, and with a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence it can do much more.
Who should use Copilot Voice?
Like Copilot Vision, Copilot Voice can be used by anyone in the organisation who has the right license. It’s a communication preference, rather than a new engine.
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Telefónica Tech helps organisations assess, implement and govern Microsoft 365 Copilot, including new capabilities such as Copilot Voice. In our experience, we tend to see voice adoption be the strongest among:
- Sales teams updating CRM records between meetings
- Frontline managers working away from a desk
- Employees with accessibility requirements
- Marketing teams using Copilot to help develop ideas
Importantly, ‘Hey Copilot’ isn’t introducing a full personal assistant or new automation engine. Instead, it adds to Copilot’s existing voice functionality with a wake word.
How do I switch on ‘Hey Copilot’?
Copilot Voice interaction isn’t enabled by default. You have to turn it on in Copilot’s settings by following these steps:
- Check you are using the latest Copilot version
- Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app with your work account (A Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is needed for the full document and email features)
- Locate the settings menu and within the General section toggle on “Listen for ‘Hey Copilot’ to start a conversation”
Now the big question: what does Copilot Voice record?
Privacy is a common worry with any AI enabled tool, especially when voice is involved because as with any technology using a wake word your computer needs to always be listening.
To provide some assurance, Microsoft confirm the following…
- Copilot keeps a 10-second audio buffer in memory. Only listening for the phrase “Hey Copilot” with recognition done locally and offline.
- No voice recordings are stored or sent to the cloud unless the wake word is detected.
- While the feature is on, Windows will show your microphone as “in use” because Copilot is waiting for the phrase. You can switch it off at any time in the Copilot settings.
- If your PC is offline, the wake word will still be recognised, but Copilot can’t respond without an internet connection.
While it’s important that any new feature is assessed from a security perspective, customers need assurance, and that starts with understanding the next question.
What happens after you say ‘Hey Copilot’?
When Copilot hears the wake word, a floating voice panel will appear at the bottom of the screen, along with a chime and spoken greeting. This works regardless of the application you’re in, as long as the Copilot app is left running in the background.
Once the wake word is detected, a voice conversation will begin and your requests will go to the Microsoft cloud, because the answers are generated online rather than on your PC.
What is kept afterwards depends on which Copilot you use:
- Personal Copilot app: Conversations are saved so you can return to them, and you can delete individual conversations or your whole history at any time.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot: Copilot audio from voice chats is temporarily stored so users can submit feedback, it is not accessed unless feedback is submitted and is deleted after 48 hours. However, Microsoft do highlight that background noise may be captured in the audio so where Copilot voice is used might need close assessment.
What are the limitations of Copilot Voice?
Before you roll it out, knowing Copilot Voice’s limits is extremely important:
- Currently, only the English wake word is recognised: Once “Hey Copilot” is used chats can continue in any supported language.
- The app has to be running: The feature is not built into the OS and relies on the Copilot app running, whether that’s open on the screen, minimised or in the background, and only on Windows.
- The wake word does not work when a machine is locked or busy: New chats can’t be started when the screen is locked or if audio from another app is playing at the same time.
- The internet is needed: The wake word is detected locally, but responses need a connection.
- When the wake word is enabled Bluetooth headsets may experience reduced audio quality playback: In this scenario it is recommended to avoid using “Hey Copilot” and use the default “Press to talk” feature instead.
- Sessions can drop: Voice conversations may have session limits and can disconnect automatically.
Ready to try Copilot Voice?
Whilst voice support is easy to enable, organisations need more than a toggle. There are questions around licensing, where voice transcripts are stored, how background audio is handled and which devices and headsets are supported that all deserve an answer before you roll out.
At Telefónica Tech, we help organisations adopt AI safely across their intelligent workplace. We can help you assess Microsoft 365 Copilot, set the right governance and define an adoption approach that fits how your people actually work. Get in touch to start the conversation.
