How to enable cortana

Configure Cortana in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Who is Cortana?

Cortana is a personal productivity assistant in Microsoft 365, helping your users achieve more with less effort and focus on what matters. The Cortana app in Windows 10 and Windows 11 helps users quickly get information across Microsoft 365, using typed or spoken queries to connect with people, check calendars, set reminders, add tasks, and more.

Where is Cortana available for use in my organization?

Your employees can use Cortana in the languages listed here. However, most productivity skills are currently only enabled for English (United States), for users with mailboxes in the United States.

The Cortana app in Windows 10, version 2004 requires the latest Microsoft Store update to support languages other than English (United States).

Required hardware and software

Cortana requires a PC running Windows 10, version 1703 or later, and the following software to successfully run the included scenario in your organization.

A microphone isn’t required to use Cortana.

— Windows 10, version 1703 (legacy version of Cortana)

For more information on the differences between Cortana in Windows 10, version 2004 and earlier versions, see How is my data processed by Cortana below.Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)While all employees signing into Cortana need an Azure AD account, an Azure AD premium tenant isn’t required.Additional policies (Group Policy and Mobile Device Management (MDM))There’s a rich set of policies that can be used to manage various aspects of Cortana. Most of these policies will limit the abilities of Cortana but won’t turn off Cortana. For example, if you turn Speech off, your employees won’t be able to use the wake word («Cortana») for hands-free activation or voice commands to easily ask for help.

For Windows 11, Cortana is no longer pinned to the taskbar by default. You can still pin the Cortana app to the taskbar as you would any other app. In addition, the keyboard shortcut that launched Cortana (Win+C) no longer opens Cortana.

Signing in using Azure AD

Your organization must have an Azure AD tenant and your employees’ devices must all be Azure AD-joined for the best Cortana experience. (Users may also sign into Cortana with a Microsoft account, but won’t be able to use their enterprise email or calendar.) For info about what an Azure AD tenant is, how to get your devices joined, and other Azure AD maintenance info, see Azure Active Directory documentation.

How is my data processed by Cortana?

Cortana’s approach to integration with Microsoft 365 has changed with Windows 10, version 2004 and later.

Cortana in Windows 10, version 2004 and later, or Windows 11

Cortana enterprise services that can be accessed using Azure AD through Cortana meet the same enterprise-level privacy, security, and compliance promises as reflected in the Online Services Terms (OST). To learn more, see Cortana in Microsoft 365.

How does Microsoft store, retain, process, and use Customer Data in Cortana?

The table below describes the data handling for Cortana enterprise services.

How does the wake word (Cortana) work? If I enable it, is Cortana always listening?

The wake word has been re-enabled in the latest version of Cortana in Windows. If you’re on Windows 10, version 2004, be sure that you’ve updated to build 19041.329 or later to use the wake word with Cortana. For earlier builds, you can still click on the microphone button to use your voice with Cortana.

Cortana only begins listening for commands or queries when the wake word is detected, or the microphone button has been selected.

First, the user must enable the wake word from within Cortana settings. Once it has been enabled, a component of Windows called the Windows Multiple Voice Assistant platform will start listening for the wake word. No audio is processed by speech recognition unless two local wake word detectors and a server-side one agree with high confidence that the wake word was heard.

The first decision is made by the Windows Multiple Voice Assistant platform using hardware optionally included in the user’s PC for power savings. If the wake word is detected, Windows will show a microphone icon in the system tray indicating an assistant app is listening.

At that point, the Cortana app will receive the audio, run a second, more accurate wake word detector, and optionally send it to a Microsoft cloud service where a third wake word detector will confirm. If the service doesn’t confirm that the activation was valid, the audio will be discarded and deleted from any further processing or server logs. On the user’s PC, the Cortana app will be silently dismissed, and no query will be shown in conversation history because the query was discarded.

If all three wake word detectors agree, the Cortana canvas will show what speech has been recognized.

Cortana in Windows 10, versions 1909 and earlier

Cortana in Windows 10, versions 1909 and earlier, isn’t a service covered by the Office 365 Trust Center. Learn more about how Cortana in Windows 10, version 1909 and earlier, treats your data.

Windows 10 Tip: Enable “Hey Cortana” and teach Cortana to recognize your voice

Today, we’re showing you how you can enable “Hey Cortana” so you can simply ask Cortana for whatever it is you need with your voice!

“Hey Cortana” lets you interact with Cortana hands-free so you can master multitasking. You can even use “Hey Cortana” to interact with Cortana above your lock screen so you don’t even have to login to your computer to have Cortana help you out.

Here’s how to enable “Hey Cortana:”

To get started, click on the Search bar, then click on the Settings icon and find the button to enable Hey Cortana.

Here are a couple things you can ask for when you say, “Hey Cortana:”

To enable Cortana above the lock, go to settings and enable “Use Cortana Even When My Device is Locked”.

You can also train Cortana to recognize your voice so she can better understand you:

Once you have “Hey Cortana” enabled, you can click on “Try to respond only to me.” Then just underneath that, click on “Learn how to say, ‘Hey Cortana.’ Cortana will prompt you to repeat six phrases out loud. Then you’re all set!

For more Windows 10 tips on Cortana, head over to these blog posts to read about using Cortana above your lock screen or searching your PC and the web with Cortana, and have a great week!

*Cortana available in select markets

How to Enable Cortana on Windows 10 Easily If It’s Disabled [MiniTool Tips]

Have you disabled Windows 10 Cortana due to some reason? But now you want to get Cortana back? What can you do to realize this aim? Easy! Read this post written by MiniTool and you will know how to enable Cortana on Windows 10 with 3 simple methods.

As is well known, Cortana is a voice assistant that is embedded in Windows 10 and Microsoft has spent much time building this virtual assistant. With it, you are able to do many tasks, for example, search for information on the web, organize your calendar, receive the weather forecast, find things on your PC, etc.

Windows 10 users complained that their Cortana Web Preview is not working after the Windows update.

But, not all of you are satisfied with Cortana since some said that this feature could collect some private information and eat up a large percentage of system memory. Thus, you choose to disable Cortana.

What if you change your mind and want to bring Cortana back on Windows 10? You will be happy to read this article since we will show you how to enable Cortana easily.

How to Re-Enable Cortana in Windows 10

Method 1: Enable Cortana via Registry Editor

If the method chosen by you to turn off Cortana is to use Windows Registry Editor, you also need to use the same way to get Cortana back.

Method 2: Enable Cortana via Group Policy

If you are a Windows Pro user, you may disable Cortana in Windows 10 via the Group Policy Editor. To re-enable it, you should also use it.

Method 3: Get Cortana Back via Using the Correct Program Path Name

If you have initially renamed the path to disable Cortana in Windows 10, you should re-enable it in the same manner. Here is what you should do:

Final Words

After reading this post, you have clearly known how to get Cortana back. Hope that all the mentioned methods can help you to enable Cortana easily. If you don’t remember which method you used to disable it, try them one by one.

About The Author

Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 5 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.

Управление настройками Cortana в Windows 10

Cortana является частью Windows 10 врегионах, где доступна Cortana. Если вы не хотите, чтобы цифровой помощник был для вас видимым, вы можете скрыть Cortana от панели задач. Вы также можете управлять настройками конфиденциальности, выполнив следующие действия.

Чтобы скрыть Cortana в Windows 10, версии 2004 и выше, выберите значок Cortana на панели задач и снимите флажок Показать кнопку Cortana.

В версиях 2004 и более поздних вы должны войти в систему, чтобы использовать Cortana. Когда вы вошли в систему, Cortana узнает определенные данные о вас, такие как ваши поиски, календарь, контакты и местоположение. Вы можете узнать больше в заявлении о конфиденциальности Microsoft.

Вы можете очистить историю чата с помощью Cortana на устройстве, выйдя из системы или перейдя в Cortana > Настройки > Конфиденциальность. Затем нажмите кнопку Очистить в разделе История чата.

Чтобы скрыть Cortana в Windows 10, версии 2009 и более ранних: На панели задач выберите Cortana, наведите указатель мыши на Cortana в меню, а затем выберите Скрыто в боковом меню. При этом поле поиска также будет удалено с вашей панели задач. Мы не рекомендуем взламывать настройки реестра или подобные меры, так как это может привести к нестабильной работе операционной системы или ее аварийному завершению.

В версиях 2009 и более ранних версий вы можете просматривать и контролировать, какие именно персональные данные могут получить Cortana, перейдя в окно поиска и выбрав Настройки на левой панели. Можно также указать в поле поиска на панели задач «Параметры Кортаны» и выбрать Параметры Кортаны и поиска из списка результатов.

Примечание. Кортаны нет в выпусках Windows 10 для образовательных учреждений и Windows 10 Pro для образовательных учреждений. Дополнительные сведения см. в разделе Выпуски Windows 10 для клиентов из образовательной сферы.

How to enable ‘Hey, Cortana’ on Windows 10

There’s a switch you’ll need to enable before you can get Cortana’s attention from across the room.

Contributing Writer, ZDNet

Jason Cipriani is based out of beautiful Colorado and has been covering mobile technology news and reviewing the latest gadgets for the last six years. His work can also be found on sister site CNET in the How To section, as well as across several more online publications.

Editors’ note: This post has been updated to reflect changes to Windows 10 and the process for activating «Hey, Cortana.»

One feature aimed at making Cortana a staple of your Windows 10 experience involves being able to summon the digital assistant using nothing but your voice with a simple «Hey, Cortana» command. The only thing is, you have to enable the extra capabilities. Here’s how.

You can now go about using your computer as you normally would, and whenever you need Cortana to perform a task, start by saying, «Hey, Cortana,» followed by your command. I’ve found you have to continue with your command immediately after the activation prompt, instead of waiting for Cortana to load and indicate that it’s listening.