How To Uninstall Cortana On Windows

Cortana is a virtual assistant that comes pre-installed with the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating system. It is available on multiple platforms and offers many features that fit the description of a virtual assistant perfectly – it can prompt users about upcoming events, manage calendars, send messages, track packages and more.

While many users consider Cortana a relatively neat addition to the Windows 10 operating system, the feature is not immune to criticism. Some users have experienced issues related to this, such as Cortana appearing randomly, or not working with the start menu at all. Many people have also complained about the persistent error that Cortana is not available in your region.

Others have more privacy concerns because for the app to work properly, users need to grant access to certain (personal) information. Finally, some even see Cortana as a useless bloatware that comes pre-installed with the Windows operating system and is worthless to use.

In other words, there are many reasons why many users want to uninstall Cortana from Windows 10 once and for all, although the process is not as easy as it seems at first. Initially, the application was integrated into Windows, so there was no possibility to uninstall it through the Programs and Features section or Control Panel.

As of May 2020, Microsoft introduced several changes to the digital assistant – it is now a standalone app that can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. The app has also lost some of its consumer skills-focused elements, such as connecting to home devices or supporting music services. Even so, users will not easily uninstall Cortana on a regular basis.

How do I uninstall Cortana?

So we are going to give you several ways to permanently uninstall the app. You can obviously uninstall Cortana using a PowerShell command, although this won’t completely remove the core application files from your system. However, all available options are provided below.

Before we begin, we highly recommend that you download and install the Mac Washing Machine X9 computer repair application. If you frequently encounter Windows problems, including BSOD, missing DLLs, or other errors, this program will automatically help you fix basic operating system problems.

Option 1. Prevent Cortana from automatically starting

You don’t have to uninstall Cortana to prevent it from running every time you boot Windows. If you are not bothered with it being installed but simply don’t want it running, this choice is perfect for you:

Press Ctrl Shift Esc on your keyboard to invoke Task Manager
Here go to Startup tab
Click right click on Cortana and select Disable
Close Task Manager
Right click on Start button and select Apps and Features Turn off Cortana on startup
Scroll down to find Cortana
Click it once and select Options advanced
Scroll down to Run at login
Click switch once to move it left and disable Cortana from running at sign in.

Options 2. Uninstall Cortana via PowerShell

Using PowerShell you can exit the application, although, as mentioned, the main files will remain on your computer. Here’s how:

Right click Start and select PowerShell (Admin)
When User Account Control (UAC) appears, click Yes
When PowerShell appears, copy (Ctrl) C) and paste (Ctrl V) the following command:
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.549981C3F5F10 | Remove-AppxPackage

Press Enter. Uninstall Cortana via PowerShell
If you want, you can reinstall Cortana at any time from the Microsoft Store just like any other app.

Option 3. Edit Windows Registry

The Windows registry is a small database that contains information about all your operating system settings, as well as the settings of third-party programs. Therefore, every time you install an application, a registry entry is created in this database. It is an integral part of the Windows operating system, and if not handled properly, it can lead to serious system crashes.

Therefore, before making any changes to the registry, we strongly recommend that you prepare a backup copy. Note that this option is only valid for Windows 10 Home users.

Type regedit in Windows search and press enter
Click File > Export
In the Export Range select All
Name your backup and click Save Export Registry Database
Back registry and access in the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows

Right click on the Windows folder and select New > Key, name it Windows Search
Highlight folder Search Windows by clicking on it once
On the right side, right click on an empty space and select New Value > DWORD (32-bit) Create a new key titled Windows Search
Name it AllowCortana
Double click on it and set value to 0 Set new keyword value
Reboot your device.

Option 4. Edit Group Policy

If you are using Windows 10 Pro, you can use Group Policy to remove Cortana.

Type gpedit in Windows search and press Enter
Navigate to the following location:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search