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Windows 11 speech recognition feature gets ditched in September 2024 – but only because there’s something better
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Windows 11’s voice functionality is being fully switched over to the new Voice Access feature later this year, and we now have a date for when the old system – Windows Speech Recognition (WSR) – will be officially ditched from the OS.

The date for the replacement of WSR by Voice Access has been announced as September 2024 in a Microsoft support document (as Windows Latest noticed). Note that the change will be ‘starting’ in that month, so will take further time to roll out to all Windows 11 PCs.

However, there’s a wrinkle here, in that this is the case for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 users, which means those still on Windows 11 21H2 – the original version of the OS – won’t have WSR removed from their system.

Windows 10 users will still have WSR, of course, as Voice Access is a Windows 11-only feature.

Analysis: WSR to go MIA, but it’s A-OK (for the most part)

This move is no surprise as Microsoft removed Windows Speech Recognition from Windows 11 preview builds back at the end of 2023. So, this change was always going to come through for release versions of Windows 11, it was just a question of when – and now we know.

Will the jettisoning of WSR mean this feature is missed by Windows 11 users? Well, no, not really, because its replacement, Voice Access, is so much better in pretty much every respect. It is leaps and bounds ahead of WSR, in fact, with useful new features being added all the time – such as the ability to concoct your own customized voice shortcuts (a real timesaver).

In that respect, there’s no real need to worry about the transition from WSR to Voice Access – the only potential thorny issue comes with language support. WSR offers a whole lot more in this respect, because it has been around a long time.

However, Voice Access is getting more languages added in the Moment 5 update. And in six months’ time, when WSR is officially canned (or that process begins), we’ll probably have Windows 11 24H2 rolling out, or it’ll be imminent, and we’d expect Voice Access to have its language roster even more filled out at the point.

Those on Windows 11 21H2 will be able to stick with WSR as observed, but then there’s only a very small niche of users left on that OS, as Microsoft has been rolling out an automatic forced upgrade for 21H2 for some time now. (Indeed, this is now happening for 22H2 as of a few weeks ago). Barely anyone should remain on 21H2 at this point, we’d imagine, and those who are might be stuck there due to a Windows update bug, or oversight during the automated rollout.

Windows 10 users will continue with WSR as it’s their only option, but as a deprecated feature, it won’t receive any further work or upgrades going forward. That’s another good reason why Windows 11 users should want to upgrade to Voice Access which is being actively developed at quite some pace.

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Windows 11 is getting a voice-powered ability many users have been longing for, as Microsoft kills off Windows Speech Recognition for the far superior Voice Access tech
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Windows 11 has a new preview build which further improves Voice Access, an area Microsoft has been putting a lot of effort into of late.

Preview build 22635.2915 (KB5033456) has just been rolled out to the Beta channel, and one of the additions is the ability to make customized voice shortcuts.

Using this feature, you can specify a trigger phrase for the command, and then the command itself.

Microsoft gives an example of an ‘insert work address’ command which when given automatically pastes in the specified address of your workplace. Anytime you need that putting into a document you’re working on, you just say the command – which is quite the timesaver.

Language support for Voice Access has also been extended, and now the following are included (on top of the existing languages): French (France), French (Canada), German, Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico).

Finally for voice features, multiple monitors are now supported, meaning that when you summon a grid overlay – for directing mouse clicks to certain areas of the desktop – you can do so on any of the screens connected to your PC. (Before now, the grid overlay could only be used on the primary display).

You can switch your focus to another monitor simply by using a letter (A, B, C and so on) or its phonetic equivalent (Alpha, Bravo, etc).

Microsoft further notes that there’s a drag and drop feature to move files or shortcuts from one display to another.

Elsewhere in build 22635, screen casting in Windows 11 has been improved, with a help option now in the Cast flyout from Quick Settings. This can be clicked if you’re having trouble piping your desktop to another screen and want some troubleshooting advice.

Users are also getting the ability to rename their device for the Nearby Sharing feature to help identify it more easily.

For the full list of changes and fixes in this Beta build, peruse Microsoft’s blog post.

Voice Access shortcuts

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Analysis: Custom capers

This is some useful work with Voice Access, and those with multiple monitors who use the feature will of course be very pleased, no doubt. Voice shortcuts is a powerful addition into the mix for voice functionality, too, and with this, there are a good deal of options.

Not just pasting a section of text as we mention in the example above, but also tasks can be triggered such as opening specified URLs in a browser, or opening a file or folder. You can combine multiple actions too, along with functions like mouse clicks or key presses. This is a feature we’ve been wanting for some time, so it’s great to see it arrive.

It’s also worth noting that Windows Speech Recognition has been removed from Windows 11 in this build, and when you open that old app, you’ll now get a message informing you of its deprecation, and recommending the far superior Voice Access capability instead.

We’re hoping that in the future, Voice Access is going to become an even more central part of the Windows 11 interface, and it seems a great candidate to be driven forward with AI – and maybe incorporated into Copilot.

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Facial recognition will soon be optional for government agencies using ID.me
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The identity verification company ID.me has announced that it will make facial recognition verification optional for public sector government partners.

The Virginia-based company recently made headlines after the IRS revealed its plans to require US taxpayers to submit a video selfie in order to create an account on its website. However, following backlash from citizens,  privacy advocates and lawmakers, the government agency has since backtracked on these plans.

In a press release, founder and CEO of ID.me, Blake Hall explained that the company will now provide public sector employees working for the government with a new option to verify their identities, saying:

“We have listened to the feedback about facial recognition and are making this important change, adding an option for users to verify directly with a human agent to ensure consumers have even more choice and control over their personal data.”

Not a biometrics company

ID.me will now give government agency employees the option to verify their identity with an expert human agent as opposed to having to submit a video selfie.

At the same time, beginning on March 1, all of the company's users will be able to delete their video selfies or photos. This is good news due to the fact that if ID.me were to fall victim to a data breach or even suffer a data leak, employees who used its identity verification service could be at high risk of identity theft as cybercriminals would have access to a great deal of their personal information.

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In its press release, ID.me also pointed out that it is an identity verification company and not a biometrics company. So far, the company's trained agents have already verified the identities of over 3m Americans including the unbanked, homeless and international users. During the pandemic, law enforcement and government agencies also employed ID.me's services to prevent criminals from committing unemployment fraud.

While the IRS has dropped its plans to implement identity verification for US taxpayers, the government agency could reverse course in the future.

Via Gizmodo

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IRS drops use of facial recognition for ID verification
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The IRS has backtracked on plans to allow users to verify their identities using facial recognition after a major backlash.

The government body had announced it would be using a a third-party facial recognition system built by a contractor called ID.me to verify US taxpayers looking to log in to its online portal.

However, following concerns over how much biometric data would be collected by the tool, and worries of possible identity theft, the IRS now says it will drop the technology for good.

No ID.me

“The IRS takes taxpayer privacy and security seriously, and we understand the concerns that have been raised,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. 

“Everyone should feel comfortable with how their personal information is secured, and we are quickly pursuing short-term options that do not involve facial recognition.”

The move had drawn the attention of several prominent US lawmakers, with Republican and Democrats alike raising concerns over possible cybersecurity risks, as well as recent findings claiming facial recognition systems can often feature in-built racial bias against non-white faces.

Instead of ID.me, the IRS will now be implementing an “additional authentication process” that doesn’t collect facial images or video, with the changeover set to be completed within the next few weeks.

Along with the uncomfortable amount of data being given over, users had also complained that if the system failed, they would instead spend hours aiming to have their identities manually approved in video calls with a separate third-party company.

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The IRS statement added that the change does not interfere with the taxpayer's ability to file their return or pay taxes owed, and that the IRS will continue to accept tax filings, meaning users should continue to file their taxes as normal.

“The IRS will also continue to work with its cross-government partners to develop authentication methods that protect taxpayer data and ensure broad access to online tools,” the statement concluded.

First launched back in 2010, Virginia-based ID.me was originally created to help ecommerce sites validate the identities of customers like veterans, teachers and students who might be eligible for discounts at online retailers. 

Unlike other online verification services, ID.me requires applicants to submit even more documents, including copies of utility bills and details about their mobile phone service in addition to scans of their driver's license or other government-issued IDs.

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