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How to disable Cortana in Windows
In This Article
If you’d like to know how to disable Cortana in Windows 10, then we’ve got you covered right here.
Cortana is Microsoft’s built-in voice assistant that has been around since 2014. But there’s a decent chance you may be growing a little bit sick of it. Well, that’s no issue, as you can turn it off within Windows 10, and the process for doing so is simple. And don’t worry if you change your mind later, as she’s easy to reactivate too.
So, without further ado, here’s how to disable Cortana in Windows 10.
Hardware used
The Short Version
Step1
Click the Cortana icon
Click the Cortana icon in the Windows taskbar to open it.
Step2
Open the Settings menu
Then, press the three vertical dots to open the Settings menu.
Step3
Disable the shortcut
Once inside the settings, press the ‘Keyboard shortcut’ option. Then, set the slider to ‘Off’. This will disable the keyboard shortcut used to enable Cortana (Windows + C).
Step4
Reboot your PC
You will need to reboot your PC in order for this particular change to take effect.
Step5
Turn off ‘voice activation permissions’
Now the keyboard shortcut has been disabled, you now need to turn off permissions for voice activations. To do so, go back into Cortana, reopen the settings and select ‘Voice activation’.Once inside, press the shortcut to ‘Voice activation permissions’ – this will bring up the Voice activation section in the general Windows settings, where you need to set the slider of ‘Let Cortana respond to “Cortana” keyword’ to ‘Off’. Now the process should be completed.
FAQs
No, Cortana is completely optional.
Yes, Cortana is essentially the Microsoft Windows version of Siri.
Reece has been writing for Trusted Reviews since 2019 on a freelance basis thanks to a few days’ work experience and writes about all things computing. He’s a soon to be graduate from the University o…
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
