
Click on the Search bar at the bottom-left where it says “Search the web and Windows.” Click on the Cortana icon when the pop-up window appears. To turn it on, you’ll need to go into your Windows 10 OS. How to Activate Cortana in WindowsĬortana isn’t going to work if you don’t activate it first. You’re able to do this thanks to Cortana’s sidebar that you can easily find in Edge itself.

Microsoft's latest operating system turns from a free to a paid upgrade on July 29, and we're looking to answer the question of whether it's good for you.The things Cortana can do don’t stop there since it can also help you launch apps, send emails and even interact with Microsoft Edge. This article is part of TechRadar's Windows 10 week. Check out our guide on how to use Cortana.However, that's more than enough to raise the hackles of many users, and cause them to wonder about the future, and what other options may be removed as Cortana becomes more integral to Windows 10 – which is undoubtedly the way Redmond is heading.Īfter all, bots and virtual assistants are the future. So essentially, there are still choices here – but just no big off switch any more. Of course, you'll miss out on certain Cortana features if you aren't signed in. To achieve this, you need to do the following:Īlso, you don't have to sign-in to Cortana, and if you stay signed out, none of the data piped back to Redmond's servers will be linked with your account – it will be anonymous. However, for the anti-Cortana camp, the better news is that while her off switch may have been binned, you can still hide the assistant.Īs Redmond told PC World, you can "easily hide Cortana and the search box in the taskbar altogether".
