How to turn off cortana

How to Disable Cortana in Windows 10

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times and Reader’s Digest, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more.

Microsoft doesn’t want you to disable Cortana. You used to be able to turn off Cortana in Windows 10, but Microsoft removed that easy toggle switch in the Anniversary Update. But you can still disable Cortana via a registry hack or group policy setting. This transforms the Cortana box into a “Search Windows” tool for local application and file searches.

Cortana has become increasingly restrictive since Windows 10’s release. It was previously updated to ignore your default web browser. Cortana now always launches the Microsoft Edge browser and only uses Bing when you search. If that sounds like something you wouldn’t want to use, here’s how to turn it off.

Home Users: Disable Cortana via the Registry

If you have Windows 10 Home, you’ll have to edit the Windows Registry to make these changes. You can also do it this way if you have Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, but just feel more comfortable working in the Registry as opposed to Group Policy Editor. (If you have Pro or Enterprise, though, we recommend using the easier Group Policy Editor, as described in the next section.

Standard warning: Registry Editor is a powerful tool and misusing it can render your system unstable or even inoperable. This is a pretty simple hack and as long as you stick to the instructions, you shouldn’t have any problems. That said, if you’ve never worked with it before, consider reading about how to use the Registry Editor before you get started. And definitely back up the Registry (and your computer!) before making changes.

You should also make a System Restore point before continuing. Windows will probably do this automatically when you install the Anniversary Update, but it couldn’t hurt to make one manually–that way, if something goes wrong, you can always roll back.

Then, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows+R on your keyboard, typing “regedit” into the box, and pressing Enter.

Navigate to the following key in the left sidebar:

If you don’t see a “Windows Search” key (folder) below the Windows folder, right-click the Windows folder and select New > Key. Name it “Windows Search”.

Right-click the “Windows Search” key (folder) in the left pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name the value “AllowCortana”. Double-click it and set the value to “0”.

You can now close the registry editor. You’ll have to sign out and sign back in or restart your computer before the change takes effect.

To undo your change and restore Cortana in the future, you can just return here, locate the “AllowCortana” value, and delete it or set it to “1”.

Download Our One-Click Registry Hack

You’ll have to sign out and sign back in–or restart your computer–before the change will take effect.

Pro and Enterprise Users: Disable Cortana via Group Policy

If you’re using Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, the easiest way to disable Cortana is by using the Local Group Policy Editor. It’s a pretty powerful tool, so if you’ve never used it before, it’s worth taking some time to learn what it can do. Also, if you’re on a company network, do everyone a favor and check with your admin first. If your work computer is part of a domain, it’s also likely that it’s part of a domain group policy that will supersede the local group policy, anyway.

You should also make a System Restore point before continuing. Windows will probably do this automatically when you install the Anniversary Update, but it couldn’t hurt to make one manually–that way, if something goes wrong, you can always roll back.

First, launch the group policy editor by pressing Windows + R, typing “gpedit.msc” into the box, and pressing Enter.

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.

Locate the “Allow Cortana” setting in the right pane and double-click it.

Set the Allow Cortana option to “Disabled” and then click “OK”.

You can now close the group policy editor. You’ll have to sign out and sign back in–or restart your PC–for this change to take effect.

To re-enable Cortana, return here, double-click the “Enable Cortana” setting, and change it to “Not Configured” or “Enabled”.

How to Disable Cortana in Windows 10

If Microsoft’s voice assistant annoys you, turn it off

In This Article

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What to Know

This article explains how to temporarily and permanently disable Cortana in Windows 10. Additional information covers how to prevent Cortana from recording and storing your search habits and history.

How to Disable Cortana Temporarily

If Cortana sometimes activates when you don’t want it to, but you still want to be able to activate it manually, the first step is to make sure that Cortana won’t respond to your voice:

In the taskbar, select the Cortana icon (small circle) to open it.

In the upper-left corner of the Cortana app, select the three vertical dots.

Select Settings.

Select Keyboard shortcut.

Turn off Keyboard shortcut. You’ll need to restart your PC to apply the changes.

After rebooting, repeat steps 1-3. Select Voice activation.

Select Voice activation permissions.

Turn off Let Cortana respond to «Cortana» keyword.

For most users, disabling Cortana’s ability to automatically respond to a voice command or a keyboard shortcut is enough. This will prevent Cortana from ever activating accidentally, but it won’t affect your search experience, and everything will continue to operate as normal.

How to Disable Cortana Permanently Using the Windows Registry

Cortana is heavily integrated into the Windows 10 search functionality, so fully disabling it may impact your user experience. Nonetheless, users of Windows 10 Home Edition can disable Cortana with the Registry Editor tool. Users of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise can use either the Registry Editor or the Group Policy Manager.

After you’ve created a system restore point, and you’re absolutely sure you want to disable Cortana permanently, then you will need to open the Registry Editor:

Disabling Cortana via the Windows Registry Editor is often irreversible unless you performing a clean install of Windows 10.

Right-click the Windows icon and select Run to open the command prompt.

Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Windows+R.

Type regedit and press Enter.

If a User Account Control (UAC) window appears, select Yes to proceed.

Navigate to HKEY_Local_Machine > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows, then right-click the Windows directory and select New > Key.

Name the new folder Windows Search.

Right-click the Windows Search folder and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name the new file AllowCortana.

Double-click the AllowCortana file to open it, set the value to 0, then select OK.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

How to Disable Cortana Permanently in Group Policy Editor

While Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise users can disable Cortana through the Registry Editor, they have another option that’s a little safer. To turn off Cortana using the Group Policy Editor:

Before using the Registry Editor or Group Policy Editor methods, consider setting up a system restore point. Your system may become unstable or even fail to boot if you make a mistake.

Press Windows+R to open the command prompt, type gpedit.msc into the command line, and then press Enter.

If a User Account Control (UAC) window appears, select Yes to proceed.

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search, then double-click Allow Cortana in the right pane.

Select Disabled, then select OK.

Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.

If you want to turn on Cortana in the future, follow the steps above, but set the Allow Cortana setting to Enabled.

How to Turn Cortana Back on If You Disabled It via Regedit

If you change your mind about disabling Cortana, or if something goes wrong, the easiest way to turn Cortana back on is to use a system restore point. You can also try going back into the Registry Editor and deleting the AllowCortana file you created.

How to Prevent Cortana From Recording and Storing Your Search Habits and History

Some users have privacy concerns about Cortana and Microsoft keeping track of their search histories and habits in the cloud. Completely disabling Cortana is one way to deal with this concern, or you can turn off each setting that allows Cortana to record and store information about you:

Type Permissions and history in the Windows search box and press Enter.

Scroll down to History and turn off Search history on this device. Select Clear device search history to clear Cortana search history.

In the Find a setting search, enter speech privacy settings and select Speech privacy settings.

Turn off Use your voice for dictation and other apps using Microsoft’s online speech recognition technology.

Cortana will remain installed on your computer, but it will not be able to gather information, report information to Microsoft, or interact with you in any way. If you wish to use Cortana in the future, change all of the settings back to the On position.

To activate Cortana in Windows 10, click in the search bar, select the Notebook icon, select Settings (gear icon), and turn on Cortana.

To opt-out of Cortana’s personalized briefing email, go to the email message’s footer and select Unsubscribe. If your company is using the daily briefing via Exchange Server, use PowerShell in Exchange Online to reach the feature’s configuration settings and turn it off.

On the taskbar, right-click the Cortana icon, then deselect Show Cortana Button.

Отключение Кортаны в Windows 10

Кортана — встроенный в Windows 10 голосовой помощник, обладающий элементами искусственного интеллекта. Пока что использовать его могут только те пользователи, которые выбрали США в качестве региона и английский язык основным в операционной системе. Отключение Кортаны может понадобиться в разных ситуациях, поэтому стоит подобрать оптимальный способ реализации данной задачи, ознакомившись со всеми доступными.

Способ 1: Отключение разрешений

Для Кортаны можно отключить все разрешения, например, доступ к микрофону и вывод уведомлений. Это поможет избавиться от случайной активации функции и сделает ее неактивной до тех пор, пока пользователь не передумает и снова не установит соответствующие разрешения. Все действия осуществляются через настройки приватности, используя текущую учетную запись.

Теперь у рассматриваемого голосового помощника просто не будет прав, чтобы использовать микрофон или выводить на экран соответствующие уведомления. Вы можете быть уверены, что Кортана не активируется случайно. При необходимости предоставьте отключенные разрешения, чтобы снова наладить нормальное функционирование технологии.

Способ 2: Удаление связанных файлов

Перед началом выполнения этого метода уточним, что он является радикальным и заключается в удалении всех системных файлов, связанных с Cortana. Если вы их удалите, наладить работу помощника можно будет только путем повторной загрузки языковых пакетов или восстановлением исходного состояния операционной системы.

Остается только перезагрузить компьютер, чтобы удостовериться в том, что голосовой помощник теперь отсутствует в операционной системе и сможет активироваться любыми средствами.

Способ 3: Редактирование параметров реестра

Этот вариант менее радикальный, поскольку попросту отключает все функции Кортаны до момента, пока пользователь самостоятельно не вернет значение параметра в исходное состояние. Его принцип заключается в редактировании параметров реестра, что осуществляется так:

Любые изменения в редакторе реестра вступают в силу только после создания нового сеанса операционной системы, поэтому не забывайте после настройки перезагружать ПК.

Способ 4: Редактирование параметров локальных групповых политик

Данный вариант подойдет только обладателям версий Windows 10 Pro и Enterprise, а в остальных случаях эта же настройка производится через редактор реестра так, как было показано в предыдущем методе, поскольку редактор локальных групповых политик присутствует только в упомянутых сборках. Через него отключение Cortana производится буквально в несколько кликов.

Для повторной активации голосового помощника выполните такие же действия, но в качестве значения для параметра отметьте «Enabled». Не забывайте и о перезагрузке компьютера, чтобы все изменения были применены.

Способ 5: Изменение региона и языка интерфейса

Последний вариант нашего сегодняшнего материала подойдет только тем пользователям, кто для отключения Кортаны готов поменять регион и язык интерфейса Windows 10, например, на привычный русский. Дело в том, что на текущий момент времени голосовой помощник не поддерживается в этом регионе, поэтому его функции сразу будут полностью деактивированы.

Если во время произведения данного способа возникли какие-либо проблемы, советуем обратиться к расширенной инструкции по этой теме, которая представлена в другой статье на нашем сайте по следующей ссылке.

Только что вы ознакомились с пятью доступными методами отключения Кортаны в Windows 10. Как видите, каждый из них подразумевает выполнение определенного алгоритма действий, поэтому подойдет пользователям, столкнувшимся с разными задачами и требованиями.

How to Disable Cortana and Prevent Eavesdropping

December 30, 2020

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Convenience has a price.

You can either pick convenience or privacy but not both at the same time. This is why we are sharing this article with you to help understand how technology is making choices for us.

For instance, if you want more convenience then you compromise privacy especially when you are using a virtual assistant like Cortana on your Windows devices.

What is Cortana?

Just like Iron Man had Jarvis and Friday as their personal assistants, Cortana is a virtual assistant for a Windows user. This voice-enabled virtual system uses artificial intelligence and Bing to get information from the internet to your computer screen.

If you are someone who regularly uses Windows, only geeks use Linux, then it is important to know how privacy-eroding Cortana is.

Microsoft wanted to compete with Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa so the company decided to create a dedicated virtual assistant for Windows. Cortana is a platform-agnostic virtual assistant that is available in multiple languages like Chinese, German, or Spanish as well as compatible with Windows 10, Windows Pro, and Windows Enterprise.

Real-Time Benefits of Cortana

Why manually search for something when you have a round-the-clock virtual assistant? The aim of Cortana is to streamline your everyday work on a Windows device and managing mundane tasks.

If we drill down to the little details, then Cortana can schedule your meetings and set a reminder, tell you about the weather forecast, send emails, and identify a song for you which sometimes takes a lot of legwork.

On top of that, you can use Cortana to search anything from the internet. It uses Bing as a default search engine (for obvious reasons; Microsoft owns both) but you can customize it to Google or even DuckDuckGo. This assistant can automatically launch programs at your request and even tell you a story when you are in a bad mood. Isn’t that sweet?

But hold your horses.

Cortana can be convenient for you to use every single day but you need to reconsider your privacy protocols. As many companies have been accused of harvesting data in the past, we can’t sideline Cortana even though it is helpful to millions of people.

Why Should I Disable Cortana?

To take back your privacy. It’s as simple as that. We shared in our weekly roundup how Amazon Alexa listens to your conversations even when you are not using the device, and other similar devices like Siri and Cortana always follow suit. Imagine if a hacker takes control of your device via phishing and commands Cortana to show your loved one’s contact information or access your private files.

This is where your privacy element comes in. By using Cortana, you are actually exchanging convenience for your privacy. Truth be told, Cortana never stops working because you turned on the voice settings option. Technically it is still listening as you read this article unless you use Linux or some security protocol on your computer.

As you know the P in PureVPN stands for Privacy; we can’t just sit around and welcome any new tech without examining the privacy features first.

You can check for yourself how much detail Cortana has about you, which include your wake up time, meetings schedule, eating habits, browsing history, personal interests, or your current location.

How to turn off Cortana from Knowing Your Private Details?

This is a lot of information that you are sharing with a virtual assistant and just the stuff we know about. You have to put a leash on Cortana, in simpler words, if you care about privacy and frequently use this virtual assistant.

Here is an easy step-by-step guide to prevent Cortana from storing all your information:

Step 1: Press the Cortana button from the taskbar.

Step 2: Select Settings.

Step 3: Now, turn off these toggles.

Step 4: Select Permissions.

Step 5: Choose Changing privacy settings.

Step 6: Click on Change your privacy settings.

Step 7: Turn off these toggles.

This is how you can turn off Cortana on your computer when you are not using it. You should turn off these eavesdroppers because Cortana will know your every drib and drab of information. So, it is better to take some precautions on your own.

How to Turn off Cortana Completely via Group Policy?

You have now ensured that Cortana is not listening to your conversations or anything you search online but it’s not enough for more privacy. Let’s take one step ahead to further enhance your privacy. Whether you are using Windows 10, Pro, or Enterprise, the following steps remain pretty much the same.

Here are the steps you should take:

Step 1: First, you have to click the Start key.

Step 2: Select Computer Configuration.

Step 3: Choose Administrative Templates.

Step 4: Choose Windows Components.

Step 5: Click on Search.

Step 6: Now, choose Allow Cortana.

Step 7: Select Enabled and OK to end the process.

How to Disable Cortana via the Registry?

Using the Registry is a simple option but you have to follow the steps religiously. If you make a mistake while disabling Cortana using the Registry, then it can negatively impact your computer system. You might experience rendering or experience system instability.

That’s why you should make a System Restore point first. To do that, you have to type “System Restorate” on the search bar, click on Create a Restore Point, and select your System drive. Click on the Configure option to enable it.

Step 1: Once you are done with creating a System Restore point, open the command prompt from the taskbar.

Step 2: Type regedit into the search box and press OK.

Step 3: Then follow the step-by-step instructions that we have mentioned above to reach the Windows Search key folder.

Step 4: Select New > DWORD (32-bit value).

Step 5: Type AllowCortana under the Value name and set 0 as the value data.

The Easiest Way to Turn off Additional Data Gathering on Windows 10

Cortana is designed to know more about you but the privacy part was not taken into account. That’s why you should disable Cortana and ensure the servers are not leeching your private data. First, we will tell you exactly how to disable Cortana especially when you are not using the voice-assistant service:

First Method: Click on the Cortana button from the taskbar. Choose Settings from the left-side menu and turn off the option.

Second Method: Go to the Settings menu from the app > Privacy > Speech > Inking and Typing > Stop getting to know me.

However, you have to get rid of past data that Cortana servers were collecting and storing every single day. There are three ways to permanently delete your private data which includes Daily Reminders, Notebook, places you visit, or the restaurants you order from.

Visit the Bing Settings page and log in to your account. Now, select the Clear button to clear your Cortana history by ticking Other Cortana Data and Personalized Speech, Inking and Typing, and “Clear Personal Info.” Confirm the deletion, and you are done.

Sharing location data is risky and you don’t have to allow every other app to know your exact location. To ensure Cortana isn’t doing it, go to the Privacy Settings and turn off the Location toggle. This will not only disable location tracking for all background applications but Cortana as well.

Besides Cortana, you should not allow Microsoft to collect your private information. All you have to do is go to the settings page on your computer, select General, and turn off Send Microsoft info about how I write to help improve typing and writing in the future.

Things You Need to Know Beforehand

Here are some other intricate details about disabling Cortana that you should know about:

Getting back your privacy takes a little hard work…

As you can see above, Cortana is a complex and intelligent virtual assistant that harvests your private data while keeping you happy. We can’t say for certain that Microsoft’s Cortana is creating a user model out of your private data just like Google and Facebook does. But you are entitled to your privacy rights no matter the software or mobile app that you are using.

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How to turn off Cortana on a Windows 10 computer, so it doesn’t take up power and can’t hear or respond to your voice

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Cortana is Windows 10’s digital assistant, similar to Siri on the iPhone and Mac, or Alexa on the Amazon Echo.

Named after the artificial intelligence in the computer game series «Halo,» it’s available via voice command when you say, «Hey Cortana.» Once you do so, it can help you in a variety of ways, including planning trips, giving you the weather, or finding files on your computer.

If you don’t like Cortana — or are concerned about potential privacy issues — you can turn this feature off through Windows 10’s settings.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

How to turn off Cortana in Windows 10

1. Click the Start button and then click the Settings icon, which resembles a small gear.

2. In the Settings search box, type «Cortana» and then click «Change how you talk to Cortana» in the search results.

3. In the Hey Cortana section, turn off «Let Cortana respond to ‘Hey Cortana'» by clicking the button to the Off position.

4. In the Keyboard shortcut section, turn off the option to let Cortana listen for commands when you press the Windows logo key + C.

After making these two changes, Cortana is effectively disabled, and can no longer listen for you.

If you prefer, you can go one step further and take away Cortana’s permissions.

5. In the Settings search box, type «Cortana» and choose «Cortana permissions» from the drop-down set of search results. It may also appear in the search results as «Manage what Cortana can do, see, and use.»

6. In the Permissions section, click «Manage the information Cortana can access from this device.»

7. Turn off all the settings on this permissions page.