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The Voice Agent is a live spoken conversation. You can ask follow-up questions and interrupt. It does not type into your apps. Use Dictation or Assist for that. The Voice Agent is a Windows feature. On macOS it is not verified in the current beta.

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Before you start

  • SpeechKit is installed and Dictation works.
  • The Voice Agent is off in a fresh install. You turn it on below.
  • The Voice Agent needs a provider for live conversation, local or cloud. Choose it with the privacy settings in mind. A cloud provider receives your voice.

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Steps

1

Turn the Voice Agent on

In Settings > Overview, switch on the Voice Agent in the Modes list. You can also open Voice Agent Mode and enable its hotkey there.
2

Check what needs attention

Overview lists missing provider keys under Needs attention. Add the key or choose another provider.
3

Start a conversation

The default hotkey is Ctrl+Shift. Hold it, speak, and release it. You can also start and stop the agent with the Start voice agent and Stop voice agent buttons in the Voice Agent window.
4

Ask a follow-up

The window shows the conversation. After the agent answers, ask a follow-up question. For example: “help me decide the next release slice”. Then interrupt with a follow-up.
5

End the session

End the session to get a summary. After you release the hotkey the dialog stays resumable for a short time (the Resume window). The summary and the closing of the panel happen when that window runs out.

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Settings you can change

Open Settings > Voice Agent Mode. Past conversations appear in the Library under the voice tab.

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Start with your voice

Hands-Free can start a mode with a wake phrase instead of a hotkey. Turn it on under Settings > Hands-Free with Enable hands-free activation, then choose the phrase and the target (Voice Agent conversation, Assist voice companion or Dictation (UI-assisted)). Microphone audio for wake detection stays on the device. Hands-Free is not available on macOS.

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If something goes wrong

  • The agent does not start. Check that the Voice Agent is switched on and that its provider has a key. See Needs attention in Overview.
  • It answers too early. Raise Pause tolerance (ms).
  • You cannot hear it. Use the speaker output control in the Voice Agent window to pick another speaker.
  • Still stuck. See Fix common problems.