How to Turn on and off Cortana in Windows 11 – Guide
Windows 10 comes with Cortana, Microsoft’s cloud-based digital assistant. This app helps users find files, folders and applications on their computers with their voice commands. There are many things you can do with this Cortana app, like keeping track of calendars, setting reminders, searching the internet, etc. Some users enjoy using Cortana app and recognize it as a useful tool feature, but many people are annoyed and want to turn it off. ..
For your information, this app collects personal data such as habits, location, calendar entries, search history, emails, etc. and stores them on your cloud server. It also slows down your system when it starts with your computer and runs in the background in Windows 11. Although Cortana is a pre-installed app, it is not active by default in Windows 11. Do you want to disable or remove it? You can temporarily or permanently disable the application or completely uninstall it from your computer if necessary. ..
How to Disable or Uninstall Cortana in Windows 11
Disable Cortana in Windows 11 Settings
In the left sidebar of the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut ‘Win+I’, open the Apps section. In this section, you can manage application settings.
In the Cortana app list search box, type “Cortana.” When the Cortana apps list appears, click the three-dot vertical menu on the side and choose “Advanced Options.”
To disable Cortana, open the Settings app and go to the Privacy section. Under “General,” uncheck the box next to “Enable Cortana.” ..
Disable Cortana from Task Manager
To disable Cortana on a Windows 10 computer, open the Start menu and search for “Cortana.” When the app appears, click on it and select the “Settings” option. Under “General,” uncheck the box next to “Enable voice recognition.” ..
To disable Cortana on your Windows 11 machine, locate her in the startup items list and click the ‘Disable’ button. This will save her system resources and prevent her from taking up any more when you boot your computer. ..
Disable Cortana from Registry Editor
Open the Run window and type “regedit” to open the Registry Editor. Then press Enter.
In the right pane, click on the ‘Windows Search’ folder. In the left pane, click on the ‘Computer’ tab. In the right pane, click on the ‘Settings’ button. In the left pane, click on the ‘Advanced’ button. In the right pane, click on the ‘Security’ button. In the left pane, click on the ‘Privacy’ button. Under ‘Security Settings’, select ‘Check for updates automatically’. Under ‘Privacy Settings’, select ‘Allow people to change my settings without my knowledge’. Click OK to close all three windows.
Microsoft has announced a new feature called “AllowCortana.” This will allow users to interact with Cortana directly from the taskbar. ..
Double-click on the ‘AllowCortana’ icon in the taskbar and set its value to ‘0’. Click OK to save the changes. Once done, restart your Windows 11 PC and you will find that Cortana has been disabled.
Disable Cortana from the Group Policy Editor
Open the Windows Registry using the keyboard shortcut ‘Win+R’, type ‘regedit’ and press OK. In the Windows Registry, navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon Right-click on Winlogon and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this new value ‘AutoAdminLogon’ and set its value to 1. ..
This will open the “Search” component of the Windows Components control panel. Under the “Search” heading, you will find a list of search engines that can be used to search for files and folders on your computer. You can select one of these engines to use when searching for files and folders.
In the dialog box that appears, click ‘Disabled’ and choose ‘OK’. After that, restart your PC and Cortana will no longer work on Windows 10.
Re-enable Cortana in Windows 11
If you disable Cortana in Settings, you can enable Cortana toggle in Settings -> Apps and features -> Advanced Cortana Options. You just need to enable the Cortana toggle in the ‘Run on login’ section.
If you used the registry method to disable Cortana, navigate to the path below and set the value of AllowCortana to 1.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindows Search
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Search
Final note
Windows 10 includes a digital assistant called Cortana. You can use Cortana to control your computer, search the internet, and more. This guide will show you how to turn on and off Cortana in Windows 10. ..
