Microsoft Ava multilingual

Question

Microsoft Ava multilingual

Claude 0

Hi,

I am running Windows 11 Home, and I really want to make Microsoft Ava multilingual online as my default read-aloud in Word and Outlook again. I used to have it, but after Microsoft updated their software about a year ago, I no longer have it. I have been trying everything to get it back, but I haven't had any luck. I like her voice a lot better than the robot voices that come with Windows. If you can help me with this, it would be very much appreciated.

Thank you,

Claudia

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Claude 0

Hi Kai-H,

In Word, I followed your directions; when I signed back into Word, I went to Review, started Read Aloud, then selected the small gear icon in the Read Aloud controls. They had two choices, male and female voices, but when I closed and reopened Word, those Windows voices like David, Zira, etc. were back. Is there any way I can clear my privacy settings in Office 365?

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Answer 2

Kai-H 20,755 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi, Claude

I don’t think this is something you can force back as a Windows default voice in the usual Windows 11 voice settings. “Microsoft Ava Multilingual Online” is one of the online/neural voices used by Microsoft’s Read Aloud/Immersive Reader service, not the same as the older installed Windows voices like David, Zira, etc.

First, I would check inside Word itself, not only Windows Settings. Open Word, go to Review, start Read Aloud, then select the small gear icon in the Read Aloud controls. If Ava is still available for your account/build, it should appear under Voice Selection. Do the same in Outlook from Read Aloud/Immersive Reader voice settings.

If it is missing there too, it is recommended that you sign out of Office completely, restart the PC, sign back into your Microsoft 365 account, and make sure Word/Outlook are fully updated. Also check that you are online, because the better natural voices usually depend on Microsoft’s online service.

If Ava still does not appear, then Microsoft may have removed or changed access to that specific voice in your current Office version. As a workaround, it is suggested that you try Read Aloud in Microsoft Edge or Word for the web, since those sometimes show the online voices when the desktop app does not.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you.

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Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-23T06:37:25.41+00:00

Hi, Claude

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.
Claude 0 Reputation points

2026-06-23T17:01:48.97+00:00

Hi Kai-H,

In Word, I followed your directions; when I signed back into Word, I went to Review, started Read Aloud, then selected the small gear icon in the Read Aloud controls. They had two choices, male and female voices, but when I closed and reopened Word, those Windows voices like David, Zira, etc. were back. Is there any way I can clear my privacy settings in Office 365?
Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-24T06:30:10.4766667+00:00

Hi, Claude

You can try resetting the Office privacy/connected-experience settings, but there isn’t really a “clear privacy settings” button in Microsoft 365. What you can do is open Word, go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings, then check whether connected experiences are enabled. In Outlook, the same area is usually under File > Office Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings. These settings control connected experiences in Office apps, and Read Aloud’s online/neural voices depend on being signed in and having a stable internet connection.

I would make sure anything related to connected experiences, especially experiences that analyze content or download online content, is turned on. Then fully close Word and Outlook, reopen Word, sign back in if prompted, and test Read Aloud again.

One thing to note: these privacy settings are tied to your Microsoft account and can roam across devices. If the setting that disables all non-essential connected experiences is turned off on one device, it may not roam properly, so you may need to check the setting on each device.

If the better voice still disappears after reopening Word, it may not be a privacy-cache issue. It may simply be Word falling back to the local Windows TTS voices because the online voice service is not loading for that session. Available voices can vary depending on the platform and TTS service.
Claude 0 Reputation points

2026-06-27T21:28:33.5666667+00:00

Hi Kai-HTo come find out, I had the experiences that analyze content or download online content turned off. Now it's on and in Word I have a female voice that I can stand. However, in Outlook Classic, when I used the read out loud feature, I get a pop-up saying that it’s offline, but it’s not. Do you have any idea what is going on?
Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-28T06:32:25.37+00:00

Hi, Claude

Yes, this can happen even when the PC itself is online. In Outlook Classic, “offline” can mean Outlook is not connected properly to its mailbox service, or that the Read Aloud online service is not being reached. When Office/Read Aloud cannot connect, it falls back to the text-to-speech voices provided by the device.

I would first check the simple Outlook setting: in Outlook Classic, go to Send/Receive and look at Work Offline. If that button is shaded, Outlook is actually in offline mode. Select it once so the button is no longer shaded, then try Read Aloud again. This is usually listed as the first thing to check for reconnecting Outlook Classic.

Since Word now works, also check Outlook’s own setting under File > Office Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings, and make sure connected experiences are enabled there too. Outlook uses Office Account for those privacy settings.

If it still happens, it is recommended that you start Outlook in safe mode: press Windows + R, type outlook /safe, and test Read Aloud. If it works there, an add-in is probably interfering. If not, run Microsoft’s Classic Outlook connectivity troubleshooter from Get Help.
Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-29T06:37:49.98+00:00

Hi, Claude

If you still have further concerns, please feel free to let me know.
Claude 0 Reputation points

2026-06-29T17:55:02.5233333+00:00

Hi, Kai-H

I really want to thank you for all your help. Until I can figure out how to get Outlook Classic online, I am stuck with those robotics’ voices. I think I know what the problem is: my email address is at @comcast.net, but they’re using Yahoo for their mail service. There is one thing that I really don't understand, and I truly apologize if this is a stupid question. With Outlook being offline, how come I’m still able to receive/send email?
Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-30T06:31:37.6866667+00:00

Hi, Claude

That is actually a very reasonable thing to ask, because “offline” in Outlook can mean different things depending on what part of Outlook is complaining.

If you can still send and receive email, then Outlook is probably not completely offline from your Comcast/Yahoo mail account. When classic Outlook is truly in Working Offline or Disconnected status, you should see that on the status bar, and you generally cannot send or receive until it reconnects.

What I think is happening is that your email connection and the Read Aloud online voice connection are separate. Your Comcast/Yahoo mail may still be working through its normal mail settings, while Outlook Classic is failing to reach Microsoft’s online connected service that provides the better Read Aloud voices. That would explain why mail still works, but Read Aloud says it is offline.

Also, since this is a Comcast/Yahoo type email account, it may not behave like a Microsoft 365 or Exchange mailbox. Cached Exchange Mode is for Exchange/Microsoft 365 accounts and is not available for POP or IMAP accounts.

So I would not assume your email account is broken. I would check the very bottom of Outlook. If it does not say Working Offline or Disconnected, then the issue is probably just Outlook Classic’s Read Aloud/connected-experience service, not your actual email connection. In that case, it is worth checking antivirus, VPN, firewall, or add-ins next.
Claude 0 Reputation points

2026-06-30T16:00:15.7266667+00:00

Hi, Kai-H

Thank you very much for explaining things. It makes sense. I have check the very bottom of Outlook. It does not say Working Offline or Disconnected. If I switch to the new Outlook, do you think I would have the same problem?
Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-01T06:21:29.2066667+00:00

Hi, Claude

Yes, I think it is worth trying New Outlook, but I would treat it as a test rather than a guaranteed fix.

Since the bottom of Outlook Classic does not say Working Offline or Disconnected, your email account itself does not sound offline. The problem seems more likely to be the Read Aloud/online voice part of Outlook Classic, not your Comcast/Yahoo mail connection. Those offline/disconnected status messages are the usual signs that classic Outlook is not connected to the mail server.

New Outlook handles reading emails a bit differently. New Outlook uses Immersive Reader: open the message, go to View > Immersive Reader, then use the Play button and voice settings. Classic Outlook uses the older Read Aloud button and voice selector.

So yes, New Outlook might avoid the same pop-up because it is not using the exact same Classic Outlook Read Aloud path. But I would not promise it will solve it, because Read Aloud in New Outlook is listed as “Revised”, not exactly the same as Classic Outlook. Also, offline support in New Outlook is only partially available.

The good news is that you can switch back if needed. If your account is supported, you should see the Try the new Outlook toggle in Classic Outlook, and you can turn it off again to return to Classic Outlook.

So my practical answer would be: yes, try New Outlook, but don’t remove Classic Outlook yet. Test one or two emails with View > Immersive Reader and see if the voice is better. If it still uses robotic voices or your Comcast/Yahoo account does not work well there, switch back to Classic Outlook.
Claude 0 Reputation points

2026-07-02T00:39:42.39+00:00

Hi, Kai-H

I will give it a try when I have a chance and let you know. I really appreciate all your patience with me on this. I have been learning a lot from you about outlook. I know that one day I will have to move to the new outlook anyway.