Some people find Cortana to be very useful, others, not so much. If you’re on the fence and want to disable Cortana on Windows 11, then continue below. If Cortana is disabled and you want it re-enabled, also continue below. We’re going to show you how to disable or enable it. Cortana is pre-installed on Windows 11, but you can’t use it in its current settings. Why keep an app if you’re not going to use it? Well, you can just stop and remove it from Windows. To get started with disabling Cortana on Windows 11, follow the steps below.
How to turn off Cortana on Windows 11
As mentioned above, Cortana comes already installed on Windows 11 but can’t be used with its current settings. You can remove it from Windows so you don’t have to deal with it. Windows 11 has a centralized location for the majority of its settings app. From system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows, all can be done from the System Settings pane. To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + I shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings as shown in the image below: Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it. Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click Apps, and select Apps & feature on the right pane of your screen shown in the image below. On the Apps & feature settings pane, select Cortana on the list of apps. Then click on the ellipse (vertical dots) of the app to show the Advanced options. On the Advanced option settings pane for Cortana, toggle the buttons for Microphone under App permissions, and Cortana under Runs at log-in to the Off position to disable.
How to enable Cortana on Windows 11
If you change your mind about Cortana and want to reenable it, simply reverse the steps above by going to the Start menu ==> Settings ==> Apps ==> Apps & feature ==> select Cortana Advanced options, then toggle the switch for Microphone under Apps permissions and Cortana under Run at log-in to the On position to enable. You may also need to download the Cortana store app and install it. A Microsoft account is required to get apps from the store. That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to disable or enable Cortana when using Windows 11. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
