Policy
Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
Microsoft Windows
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows10, Windows10RT, Windows11, WindowsServer2016
This policy setting specifies whether Windows apps can be activated by voice while the system is locked. If you choose the "User is in control" option, employees in your organization can decide whether users can interact with applications using speech while the system is locked by using Settings > Privacy on the device. If you choose the "Force Allow" option, users can interact with applications using speech while the system is locked and employees in your organization cannot change it. If you choose the "Force Deny" option, users cannot interact with applications using speech while the system is locked and employees in your organization cannot change it. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, employees in your organization can decide whether users can interact with applications using speech while the system is locked by using Settings > Privacy on the device. This policy is applied to Windows apps and Cortana. It takes precedence of the “Allow Cortana above lock” policy. This policy is applicable only when “Allow voice activation” policy is configured to allow applications to be activated with voice.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
| Scope | Element | Type | Registry mapping | Constraints & behavior | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | Default for all apps: ID LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock_Enum | enum | Path Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy Value name LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock Type REG_DWORD | Options: User is in control (0), Force Allow (1), Force Deny (2) |