How to Disable Cortana Temporarily/Permanently

Although Microsoft introduced Cortana as a revolutionary feature of Windows 10, it has failed to live up to its hype. Sure, there are people who might actually find Cortana useful. But for most of us, it’s just another piece of unnecessary application that has a very minimal value. So, in this article, we are going to show you three methods to disable Cortana in Windows 10, so you can use your PC with zero hindrance. Follow the methods below to turn off Cortana.

Turn off Cortana Temporarily

If you want to prevent Cortana from activating automatically to your voice, but you still want to use it manually, you can use this method. This method will only disable Cortana temporarily by disabling voice activation and keyboard shortcuts. You can still use it whenever you want by clicking on the “Cortana” icon in the Task Bar.

1. First, click on the “Cortana” icon that’s right beside the “Windows Search Bar” of your computer.
2. Once “Cortana” opens, click on the three horizontal dots in the upper-left corner of the menu. After that, a drop-down menu with multiple options will show up.
3. Next, click on the “Settings” option of the drop-down menu.
4. After that, click on the “Keyboard shortcut” option.
5. Now, toggle off the keyboard shortcut and restart your computer to implement the changes.
6. After your computer restarts, follow steps 1-3 again and then click on the “Voice activation” option.
7. Next, click on “Voice activation permissions.”
8. In the next menu, toggle off the “Let Cortana respond to “Cortana” keyword” option.

And we’re done. After you complete the steps mentioned above, Cortana will never be activated by your voice (or keyboard shortcuts) accidentally, and hinder your work.

Disable Cortana Permanently in Windows 10 Using Registry Editor

Cortana is one of the flagship features of Windows 10. Therefore, if you disable Cortana permanently in Windows 10, it might affect your overall user experience. However, if you’re sure that you don’t want this feature at all, and it will only be a hindrance to you, you can easily turn it off using Windows Registry Editor.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Press the “Windows + R” keys on your keyboard and open the “Run” command box.
2. Next, type “Regedit” in the text box and press the “Enter” key to open the “Registry Editor” window.
3. Now, navigate to HKEY_Local_Machine > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows. Once you get to the “Windows” option, right-click on it.
4. After that, select “New” from the dialog box and then click on the “Key” option.
5. Now, name the new folder as “Windows Search.”
6. Next, right-click on “Windows Search” to open a new dialog box.
7. After the dialog box opens, click select the “New” option and then click on the “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.
8. Once the new file comes up, name it “AllowCortana.”
9. Next, double-click on the “AllowCortana” file, and it will pop open the “Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value” menu.
10.  In the menu, set the “Value data” to “0” and then click on the “OK” button.
11. Now, close the “Windows Registry Editor” and restart your computer. Once you do it, you will successfully disable Cortana in Windows 10.

Disable Cortana Permanently in Windows 10 Using Group Policy Editor

If you have either Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise edition installed on your PC, you can disable Cortana with a lot more ease using the Group Policy Editor. With Group Policy Editor, turning off Cortana will be safer compared to the Registry Editor, which can be dangerous for your system if you make any mistake. So, if your PC runs on Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise edition, follow these steps to turn off Cortana permanently:

1. Press the “Windows + R” keys and open the “Run” command box.
2. Next, type “gpedit.msc” in the text box and press the “Enter” key to open Group Policy Editor.
3. Once you’re inside the program, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search in the left panel.
4. Now, in the right panel, double-click on the “Allow Cortana” option.
5. In the “Allow Cortana” menu box, select the “Disabled” option and click on the “OK” button.
6. Once you’re done, close the program and restart your computer to save the changes permanently.

Congratulations! You have successfully disabled Cortana on your PC.