Abstract: Cold-rolled non-oriented silicon steel sheets were annealed conventionally and magnetically at 0.1, 6 and 12 T, where the magnetic field was applied to them in the rolling direction. The results showed that the magnetic annealing process affects obviously the orientation density of recrystallization texture and grain size, and the annealing effect presents a nonlinear relationship with magnetic induction. Magnetic annealing tends to strengthen the favorable η (<00l> RD) and {100} fibers and weaken the unfavorable γ fiber, and the magnetic field at 6 T is more effective to optimize texture. Recrystallization grain size becomes larger under annealing at 6 T and smaller at 0.1 T in comparison with conventional and high field (12 T) annealing. A magnetic annealing mechanism is therefore proposed in view of lowering the grain boundary mobility and providing an additional orientation-dependent driving force for grain boundary migration.