Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy Description
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
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Privacy/LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0 (Default)- User in control. Users can decide if Windows apps can be activated by voice while the screen is locked using Settings > Privacy options on the device. -
1- Force allow. Windows apps can be activated by voice while the screen is locked, and users can't change it. -
2- Force deny. Windows apps can't be activated by voice while the screen is locked, and users can't change it.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy]
"LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Privacy/LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock_Enum" value="0"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy' -Name 'LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy' -Name 'LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.