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How to disable Cortana in Windows

December 20, 2022
Anna M. Krupp
cortana

QUICK RESPONSE

To disable Cortana when Windows starts, open task manager and then under the beginning tab, look for the cortana Entry. Right click on the cortana enter and click Deactivate.

You can also disable Cortana from responding to voice prompts by opening it Start > Settings > Privacy. Then click voice activation. Disable all options on this page.

To disable Cortana more completely, use regedit by pressing Windows+R to open the application launcher and typing “regedit” in the box, then click OK. Locate the following key in the left sidebar: “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search”. If you don’t see it, you need to create it by right-clicking Windows. folder and selection New > Key. Name the key “Windows Search”. Right-click and select the Windows Search folder you just created New > DWORD (32-bit) value. Name the new value “AllowCortana”. Double-click the AllowCortana value you just created and set its value to zero.

On Windows 10 or 11 Professional or Enterprise, you can use Local Group Policy Editor. Press Windows+R and type “gedit.msc” in the box, then click OK. Open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. double click Allow Cortana. Choose Disabled in the pop-up and then click OK.

SKIP TO KEY SECTIONS

How to disable Cortana in Windows 10 and 11

It’s quite difficult to disable Cortana in newer versions of Windows 10 and 11. Updates from Microsoft have made it difficult to use the normal Settings app to disable the voice assistant, requiring you to dive into some deeper configuration options. Here’s what you can do. Note that you must reboot for all of these changes to take full effect.

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Disable Cortana when Windows starts

A screenshot of the Windows 10 Task Manager app showing the Start tab and the disabled Cortana entry.

Zak Khan / Android Authority

If you don’t want Cortana to bother you every time you sign in, you can prevent it from starting in the first place. Here’s how:

  1. open that task manager App by right-clicking on the begin menu and select Task Manager or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc and start Task Manager.
  2. Under the beginning tab, look for the cortana Entry.
  3. Right click on the cortana enter and click Deactivate.

Disable Cortana in privacy settings

A screenshot of the Windows 10 Settings app with Privacy > Voice Activation Options all disabled.” src=”https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/voice-activation-scaled.jpg”/></picture><div class=

Zak Khan / Android Authority

Cortana is one way Microsoft can track your usage. So if you want to prevent this, do the following:

  1. Open Start > Settings > Privacy
  2. Click on voice activation.
  3. Uncheck all options on this page and make sure you include them Make Cortana respond to the “Cortana” keyword and Use Cortana even when my device is locked.

Disable Cortana in the Windows registry

The above options limit Cortana, but they don’t disable it entirely. To do this, you need to use the registry editor. Be careful when using this application as you will be handling potentially sensitive system files. It’s a good idea to create a system restore point before attempting this. After that, do the following:

  1. Press Windows+R to open the application launcher, type “regedit” in the box, then click OK. You may be prompted to allow regedit to make changes to your device. click OK If that happens
  2. Locate the following key in the left sidebar: “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search.”
  3. If you don’t see Windows Search, you need to create it by right-clicking on the Windows folder and selecting it New > Key. Name the key “Windows Search” (without the quotes, but with capital letters and spaces).
  4. Right-click and select the Windows Search folder you just created New > DWORD (32-bit) value.
  5. Name the new value “AllowCortana” (again, without the quotes, but with capitalization).
  6. Double-click the AllowCortana value you just created and set its value to zero.
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Disable Cortana using Local Group Policy Editor

If you have Windows 10 or 11 Professional or Enterprise, you can use Local Group Policy Editor to disable Cortana. Similar to regedit, this is a powerful tool. So it’s a good idea to create a system restore point before trying this. After that, do the following:

  1. Press Windows+R and type gedit.msc in the box, then click OK.
  2. Open in Local Group Policy Editor Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
  3. Search Allow Cortana and double click on it.
  4. Choose Disabled in the pop-up window that appears, and then click OK.

Continue reading: Here’s how to disable Google Assistant in just a few taps

frequently asked Questions

Since the “Anniversary Update” in 2016, Windows 10 users cannot use the Settings app to disable Cortana.

Yes, but the Cortana icon is hidden from the taskbar by default on Windows 11.

Windows 10 Education and Windows 10 Pro Education editions do not include Cortana.