How To Get Rid Of Cortana

How to uninstall Cortana

Cortana appearing in the start menu in Windows 10 on a Surface Pro

(Image credit: ymgerman / Shutterstock )

Want to uninstall Cortana? You've come to the right place, and we've got good news. It's pretty simple to shut down Microsoft's digital assistant, as the company continues to make it less and less prevalent on devices.

Whether they're surrendering territory to Alexa, Google Assistant and (possibly?) Siri is a question to be answered another day: we've got complete instructions for both regular folks and power users alike, to help you uninstall Cortana to your liking.

And now that Windows 11 is out, we can now confirm you have to enable Cortana in the new OS, as it isn't on by default. So, when you set up a new Windows 11 PC for the first time, you won't hear that annoying voice chime in with phrases such as "A little sign-in there, a touch of Wi-Fi there." And so we've now got instructions for how to enable and disable Cortana in Windows 11.

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This feature is welcome news, as Windows 10 headlines continue to be more about frustrating updates that lead to bugs that crash systems and break functionality. But giving power back to the users? We're all in favor for these new options, which let you either uninstall the assistant's app or brave the command line to remove it like you're clearing gunk from the gutters.

It seems that Microsoft's not giving up on Cortana, though. Instead, we're seeing Cortana show up in other locations, such as Microsoft's mobile Microsoft 365 apps. So, yes, even though you can remove Cortana from PCs, it's still showing up inside the company's Outlook and Teams apps.

There are two ways to disable Cortana, as outlined by Windows Latest. You can either stop it from automatically opening when you boot your PC (the easier way), or remove the new Cortana app from Windows 10 (which is a little harder). We've got full instructions below.

How to disable Cortana in Windows 10

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
In Task Manager, click the Startup column.
Select Cortana.
Click Disable.
Then, open the Start menu.
Find Cortana under All Apps.
Right-click on Cortana.
Select More.
Click on App settings.
Turn off the switch next to 'Runs at log-in.'

How to uninstall the Cortana app in Windows 10

These steps require a little tinkering, so a word of caution. Since you're going to be poking around in PowerShell, back up your system first. Our best cloud backup solutions provide easy ways to protect your data.

Open the Start Menu and type in PowerShell.
Right click on Windows PowerShell.
Select 'Run as administrator'.
Type the following text (minus the ' marks) in: 'Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.549981C3F5F10 | Remove-AppxPackage'
Press Enter.

Of course, power users set on eradicating Cortana will need to dive even deeper into Windows Registry — which is even more risky for everyday users. Since it's less necessary and a bit dangerous, we recommend skipping that part.

You've already shut Cortana up and removed its app presence. That should be enough for some extra peace of mind.

How to install Cortana in Windows 11

Windows 11 doesn't even have Cortana active by default. But, what if, just play along with us here, you wanted to enable Cortana in Windows 11?

Fortunately, it's really easy.

Click Windows + I (that's an I not an L) to open Settings.
Select Apps from the left menu.
Select Apps and Features on the right menu.
Scroll to Cortana, click the three dots icon and select Advanced options
Turn the "Run at Log-in" toggle to the ON position.

How to disable Cortana in Windows 11

Realized you are already sick of Cortana? You can disable it just as easily.

Click Windows + I (that's an I not an L) to open Settings.
Select Apps from the left menu.
Select Apps and Features on the right menu.
Scroll to Cortana, click the three dots icon and select Advanced options
Flip the "Run at Log-in" toggle to the OFF position.

Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.