How To Enable Hey Cortana On Windows 10

Cortana is the digital assistant for Windows Phone and at present in Windows x and when "Hey Cortana" is on, information technology'south always listening which can make it come on unintentionally.

Microsoft's digital assistant, Cortana, get-go appeared on Windows Phone viii.ane and has migrated to Windows x. The "Hey Cortana" feature allows you to activate the digital assistant by voice and employ it. Hither'due south how to enable this feature or turn it off if you lot when don't demand it.

I like to use the "Hey Cortana" feature considering it'south e'er listening, and makes it like shooting fish in a barrel to launch programs, settings, create appointments and reminders…etc. However, if I'm using my laptop while listening to a podcast, music, or watching Netflix, sometimes Cortana can turn on and get-go launching things – which can be annoying.

Update: Microsoft has decoupled Cortana from Windows Search and a lot of its settings have changed over time. This commodity has been updated to reflect those changes.

Turn Windows 10 "Hey Cortana" On or Off

Since the updates, you can get Cortana to respond past saying either: "Hey, Cortana," or just simply "Cortana." To get started, make sure yous're signed into the Cortana app.

To plow information technology on, launch the Cortana app from your taskbar. Then click the menu push (three dots) on the left-paw side and click Settings.

Next, click on Voice Activation from the menu.

Now click on the Vocalization Activation Permissions link.

If this is the first time using Cortana to open up Settings, you will demand to click Yeah to verify.

At present in Vocalization Activation Settings, you want to brand certain that the "Allow apps to utilize vocalisation activation" switch is enabled.

Then whorl down to the "Choose which apps tin can use voice activation" section and turn on the switch to let Cortana respond to the keyword. Here y'all tin also flip the switch for Cortana to reply when your PC is locked. But that'due south optional.

To turn Cortana's responding to the keyword off, simply go back into Settings and flip off the switches y'all enabled. And that'south it.

Digital Assistants

All digital administration seem to have the problem of activating due to background noise. From Google At present to Siri and even Alexa on Amazon Echo is guilty. Then if you accept 1 of those digital administration on your phone or other devices, you'll want to toggle the "ever listening" feature off on those.

We haven't fifty-fifty touched the surface of what Cortana can do, but if you are concerned about privacy, we did show you how to erase your search content from Cortana's database. We will have a consummate guide on setting upwards and using information technology coming soon.

But, if you're just getting started with Cortana in Windows x, this should accept care of at least one thing that might annoy yous at commencement.

What's your take on Cortana, and more specifically, the "Hey Cortana" feature? Leave a comment below and let us know.