Solutions on How to Disable Cortana in Windows 10 and a Tip to Keep your Privacy Online

Cortana is a virtual assistant designed by Microsoft. It can provide you with voice-activated help, perform tasks, answer questions and provide personalized recommendations. However, while Cortana can be smart and convenient for you in a bulk of ways, it can also bring you some negative effects.

First, Cortana collects and stores your sensitive data by constantly recording voice commands to provide personalized help, which can violate your privacy. Second, because Cortana runs in the background, it can take up system resources such as CPU and RAM, resulting in lower computer performance.

Therefore, to protect your privacy and maintain computer performance, you must want to know how to disable Cortana in Windows 10. In this guide, you will learn practical methods to turn it off, as well as gain a bonus tip to keep your privacy online.

If you are Windows 10 Home Edition user, you can disable Cortana with the Registry Editor tool. Follow the given steps, you can easily get out of how to turn off Cortana in Windows 10.

Step 1. Press Windows key + R together to open the Run dialog, input “regedit” to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2. Go to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search.

Step 3. Now you can see a REG_DWORD value named SearchboxTaskbarMode, double-click on it, change the value data to 0, and click OK to close the window. Now you have successfully disabled Cortana.

If you are one of the users of Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise Edition, you can use either the Registry Editor or more safer option - the Group Policy Manager to disable Cortana. You can follow the bellow steps to learn how to remove Cortana from Windows 10.

Step 1. Open the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy window.

Step 2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. Double-click Allow Cortana on the right pane.

Step 3. On the Allow Cortana page, select Disabled, then click OK. Close the window and then restart your computer with no Cortana.

The above 2 methods require some adjustments to your computer, so please proceed with caution. Meanwhile, some users are still worried that Cortana is not completely disabled after practicing the above methods, and that it will be active in some unseen places. At this point, you may consider how do I permanently disable Cortana in Windows 10.

Step 1. Type PowerShell in Windows Search bar. When it appears in the result list, select Run as administrator.

Step 2. Input the following command: Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.549981C3F5F10 | Remove-AppxPackage, then press Enter.

Restart your PC without Cortana and keep your activities not be recorded.

Now you’ve got the idea on how to disable Cortana in Windows 10 with the above solutions. After that, your online activities will not be listened to by Cortana and sent to Microsoft, and your privacy is protected.

In the transparent internet, not only Cortana, but also other service providers may also access your private information. Your trail may be tracked and seriously, your private information will be stolen and leaked. To keep your internet information private and your online activities untracked, a reliable VPN can play a big role.

iTop VPN, known as the most secure VPN, can safeguard all of your online activities. It will hide your real IP and use a virtual one to avoid being tracked by hackers and ISP. When you connect to it, your online privacy is guaranteed. As the most secure VPN, it fully protects your privacy and security, offering you a lot of protective features.

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First of all, iTop VPN can protect your information with industry-leading AES-256 encryption technology. It provides DNS protection to prevent your DNS settings from being modified by malware or hackers, and you will not be harassed by spam and phishing websites.

Meanwhile, iTop VPN for Windows utilizes no log policy, so any browsing history you make online will not be logged and can be set up to be automatically cleaned. What's more, it provides kill switch to automatically terminate your internet connection when you fail at the VPN connection, ensuring that your unencrypted data is safe.

Moving on, follow the graphical steps to protect your online privacy with this best free VPN.

Step 1. Download iTop VPN for Windows. And then follow the on screen instructions to install it on your PC.

Step 2. Choose a server and click Connect to surf the internet with complete privacy.

With this free unlimited VPN for PC, you can do web browsing, send and receive files, etc. in 100% privacy without worrying about data theft and leakage. If you download iTop VPN for Mac/iOS, you can enable private browsing with Safari, none of your browse history, download files, etc. will be tracked by others.

The Bottom Line

This guide can help you figure out how to disable Cortana in Windows 10 easily. Once you have removed it from your PC, your sensitive data cannot be recorded by Microsoft. To safeguard your online private information, you can apply for a private VPN - iTop VPN. With its comprehensive privacy protection, none of your data can be stolen by service providers and ISPs. It is also a free VPN for streaming that allows you to watch episodes and movies on Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, etc. without lag or delay. Try it to protect your online privacy now!