Cortana is Windows 10 personal assistant which is useful for searching your computer. It displays notifications, can send emails, set reminders, and do all of that using your voice. Windows do not want to disable it.

You used to do that before, but in Windows new anniversary update, you are not able to do that anymore. But still, there are hacks which will allow you to Disable Cortana. Check them out in the section below.

Prevent Cortana From Knowing You-Disable Cortana

Before disabling it, you need to go to Cortana’s settings where you can cut off every way it uses to monitor your PC.

• Next, to the start key, click on the search box or the Cortana icon
• Open Cortana’s settings panel by clicking on the gear button
• Now you have to turn off every toggle from On to Off, in the settings screen
• Scroll to the beginning of the settings panel and click on the Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud option
• Microsoft will fetch a window called Personal Information, after it loads, go back to the end and hit the Clear button

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Cortana collects data about your typing and talking. If you want to disable it too, please follow these steps:

• Hit the Windows Start Button
• Click on the settings gear icon
• Select Privacy
• Look for the Speech, inking & typing option in the left panel
• Next, click on Stop getting to know me

Note: Turning off this will also disable dictation across Windows 10. If you don’t want to disable it, then you’ll have to put up with Windows ‘getting to know you’.

Turn Off Cortana Completely- Disable Cortana

If you have performed the steps above, Cortana won’t respond to your voice anymore. But that does not mean it is not in function. It is still running in the background waiting for you to call. To get rid of Cortana completely, you need to perform a few more steps.

Disable Cortana on Windows 10 Pro

• Press the Start button
• Then search for Edit group policy, and open it
• Go to Computer and click Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
• Find the Allow Cortana option and then double-click to open it
• Then click Disabled, and hit the button OK

How to Disable Cortana on Windows 10 Home

This process can be a little difficult than the previous one. This involves editing the Windows registry. So, I suggest you take a backup before moving with this processor, set a restore point.

• Hit the Start key from your computer
• Search for regedit and when the result appears, open it
• Then navigate to the patch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows

• Then right click on the Windows directory and then choose New > Key.
• Type Windows Search, and press the Enter key
• Select Windows Search then right click in the empty filed and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Next, type AllowCortana, and hit enter.
• Now, double-click on AllowCortana, and type in 0 under Value Data.

Restart your system and Cortana should no longer be available. In the new search box, you will see Search Windows instead for Ask me anything. If you face any problem following these steps, let us know in the comment box below.