Tech Reference

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

Written by Dave Johnson
Windows 10
To turn off Cortana in Windows 10, you'll need to turn off some settings. Hollis Johnson/Tech Insider
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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:

Windows 10 (From $139.99 at Best Buy)

How to turn off Cortana in Windows 10

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

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You can find Cortana's controls in Settings.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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

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You can disable Cortana's ability to respond to you by choosing "Change how you talk to Cortana."  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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

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Turn off Cortana on the Talk to Cortana page in Settings.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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. 

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You can disable Cortana's access to your personal information.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

 

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dave june
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.