Neowin News Feed for: Cortana

10 features in Windows 10 that just never took off

Usama Jawad — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:00:10 +0000

In anticipation of Windows 10's upcoming tenth anniversary, we reminisce some features that just never took off. Here are 10 of them. Read more...

Every Windows 10 and 11 feature Microsoft deprecated in 2023

Taras Buria — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 16:28:01 +0000

In 2023, Microsoft dropped support for 18 different Windows 10 and 11 features. Here is a recap of everything Microsoft deprecated, including Windows Mixed Reality, Cortana, WordPad, and more. Read more...

Microsoft kills off Vista era Speech Recognition on the newest Windows versions

Sayan Sen — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 07:50:01 +0000

Microsoft has announced another feature deprecation today as it has killed off Speech Recognition and replaced it with Voice Access. The former was added back in the Windows Vista days. Read more...

Cortana support will be killed soon in Microsoft Teams Rooms and Teams Display

John Callaham — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:24:01 +0000

Microsoft says that removal of support for the Cortana voice assistant in Microsoft Teams Rooms and Teams Display devices has already begun and will be completed "over the course of the coming weeks" Read more...

Microsoft deprecates the Cortana app on Windows 11 devices as it reaches End of Support

Mehrotra A — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:38:01 +0000

Microsoft has updated the standalone Cortana app on Windows 11 to disable the service with the digital assistant reaching the End of Support as Microsoft pushes users towards Windows Copilot. Read more...

Microsoft makes uninstalling Cortana in Windows 11 much easier

Taras Buria — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 18:22:01 +0000

Windows Copilot, Cortana's successor and the next-generation AI assistant for Windows 11, is right around the corner. And as it approaches, Microsoft makes removing Cortana significantly easier. Read more...

WinSlap 1.8

Razvan Serea — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:46:01 +0000

Swiftly configure a fresh Windows 10 installation with useful tweaks and antispy settings. Read more...

Microsoft Weekly: dead Surface, dead Cortana, not dead Windows 7, scared WinRAR, and more

Taras Buria — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 11:18:01 +0000

It is time to catch up with the latest Microsoft news that happened during the last week. We have dead Surface, weird updates, not-so-dead Windows 7, stats, app updates, new builds, and more. Read more...

Microsoft will kill support for the Cortana Windows app in late 2023

John Callaham — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 19:50:01 +0000

Microsoft did not offer a specific date for when the Cortana Windows app support will end, but the digital assistant will still be around for Microsoft Teams and for Outlook on mobile devices. Read more...

Navigating Microsoft's AI Frontier: Unveiling tech giant's path with caution and critique

Fiza Ali — Sun, 28 May 2023 19:08:01 +0000

From leveraging AI in its productivity suite to exploring the possibilities of techno-humanism, Microsoft continues venturing into the AI era as it embraces its power in its products and services. Read more...

Even Microsoft's CEO now admits voice assistants like its own Cortana are "dumb as a rock"

John Callaham — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:40:01 +0000

In a new article about how voice assistants never reached their full potential, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admits "all these just don't work." Microsoft hopes chatbot AI like the new Bing will work. Read more...

Microsoft just can't seem to get AI chatbots right

Usama Jawad — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:33:37 +0000

Microsoft latest endeavor into the AI-powered chatbot space has proven that the company is still grappling with the inherent challenges of the technology, such as curation, biasness, and accuracy. Read more...

Teams integration in Windows 11 continues to be Microsoft's abandoned child

Usama Jawad — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 19:00:02 +0000

Microsoft integrated Teams at an OS-level with the launch of Windows 11. However, in the past year or so, we've barely seen any improvements in the communication app or evidence of market traction. Read more...

WinSlap 1.7

Razvan Serea — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 19:46:01 +0000

Swiftly configure a fresh Windows 10 installation with useful tweaks and antispy settings. Read more...

Microsoft confirms being hacked by Lapsus group

Usama Jawad — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 01:22:02 +0000

Microsoft has officially confirmed that it was indeed compromised by Lapsus group. It has outlined a series of steps that organizations can take to protect themselves and identify malicious activity. Read more...

Lapsus group reportedly dumps source code for Microsoft Cortana and Bing services

Usama Jawad — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 13:20:01 +0000

Hacking collective LAPSUS$ has reportedly leaked the source code for multiple Microsoft projects including Cortana, Bing, and Bing Maps. The 37GB dump contains data for over 250 projects. Read more...

Halo Infinite multiplayer gets ranking fixes on February 22

Asher Madan — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:38:02 +0000

Halo Infinite is getting a ranking update that should match players better depending on their skill level. The team has been working on these changes since the game launched in December 2021. Read more...

Microsoft Weekly: AD woes, acquisitions galore, and Bingo was her name-o

Usama Jawad — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 18:16:01 +0000

While this week was relatively slow due to the holiday season, we do have some notable items to recap including Active Directory woes, a couple of acquisitions, and what almost became Cortana's name. Read more...

Ex Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer originally wanted to name Cortana as 'Bingo'

Sayan Sen — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:51:01 +0000

Steve Ballmer, the ex-Microsoft CEO, apparently wanted to name what we know today as Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant as "Bingo" instead. This was revealed by a former Cortana Product Manger. Read more...

WinSlap 1.6

Razvan Serea — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 20:38:01 +0000

Swiftly configure a fresh Windows 10 installation with useful tweaks and antispy settings. Read more...

WinSlap 1.5

Razvan Serea — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 07:28:01 +0000

Swiftly configure a fresh Windows 10 installation with useful tweaks and antispy settings. Read more...

Microsoft brings natural language queries and Dictation to Outlook on iOS

Abhay V — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 16:34:01 +0000

Microsoft is rolling out new voice features for Outlook on iOS. These include voice commands through Cortana with support for continuous conversation, Dictation on iOS, and more. Read more...

Microsoft kills support for Cortana app on Android and iOS

Namerah Saud Fatmi — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:16:01 +0000

Today Microsoft took the final step towards scrapping its mobile app Cortana for Android and iOS. The AI-powered assistant is being repurposed for use as a productivity assistant instead. Read more...

Harman Kardon's Invoke speaker gets an update to kill Cortana

Rich Woods — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 17:42:01 +0000

Harman Kardon has detailed the changes to expect in a firmware update for the Invoke that's about to roll out, which will remove Microsoft Cortana functionality from the smart speaker. Read more...

Microsoft announces new features for its mobile apps, including Outlook and Teams

João Carrasqueira — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 19:32:01 +0000

Microsoft has announced a host of new capabilities that are making their way to its mobile apps, including Outlook, Teams, and the unified Office app. The latter is also coming to iPad. Read more...

WinSlap 1.4

Razvan Serea — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 18:38:02 +0000

Swiftly configure a fresh Windows 10 installation with useful tweaks and antispy settings. Read more...

WinSlap 1.3

Razvan Serea — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 13:58:02 +0000

Swiftly configure a fresh Windows 10 installation with useful tweaks and antispy settings. Read more...

Microsoft adds new File skill to Cortana

João Carrasqueira — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 18:28:01 +0000

Alongside the latest Dev channel build of Windows 10, Microsoft has also released a new File skill for Cortana, which lets users find and open documents on their PC or corporate cloud storage. Read more...

Microsoft announces that new features are coming to Cortana

Rich Woods — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 15:00:20 +0000

For its virtual Ignite 2020 conference today, Microsoft announced some key new features that are arriving to its virtual assistant, Cortana. There's some new search functionality, and more. Read more...

Cortana mobile apps to be killed in January, to also be removed from Surface Headphones

Abhay V — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:50:49 +0000

Microsoft has provided more information on the changes coming to Cortana. All third-party skills will lose support from September, with support for devices like the Invoke being killed next year. Read more...

How to install or uninstall Cortana on Windows 10 May 2020 Update

Mehrotra A — Sat, 30 May 2020 17:28:01 +0000

The new Windows 10 update comes with new features including a new Cortana app for the users. If you are not a fan of Cortana then there is now an easy way to remove Cortana completely from Windows 10. Read more...

How to fix the 'Cortana is not available' error on Windows 10 version 2004

Mehrotra A — Fri, 29 May 2020 19:06:01 +0000

Users have reported facing issues with the Cortana app on v2004 update. Microsoft hasn't acknowledged it as an issue but if you're getting errors then you can follow this workaround to fix the issue. Read more...

Microsoft announces improvements to Play My Emails in Outlook, plus Cortana briefings

João Carrasqueira — Wed, 27 May 2020 18:10:01 +0000

Along with the release of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft has announced some new capabilities for Cortana, including improvements to Play My Emails in Outlook and new briefing emails. Read more...

Cortana Beta update adds a 'Hardware' section for managing Cortana devices

Abhay V — Mon, 04 May 2020 20:18:02 +0000

Microsoft is releasing a new update to the Cortana Beta app that adds a new 'Hardware' section. This section lets users manage Cortana devices such as the Surface Headphones, Xbox One, and more. Read more...

Cortana could be renamed to Microsoft 365 Assistant, integrate with Teams

João Carrasqueira — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 18:04:02 +0000

A new report suggests that Microsoft is internally referring to Cortana as Microsoft 365 Assistant, and that name could end up becoming official. Better Teams integration is also in the works. Read more...

Microsoft is killing off music, smart home, and third-party skills in Cortana

Rich Woods — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:46:01 +0000

Today, Microsoft announced that it's going to be shutting down a big chunk of the consumer services that Cortana provides. Music, smart home, and third-party skills are all going away. Read more...

O&O ShutUp10 1.7.1408

Razvan Serea — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 15:56:02 +0000

With O&O ShutUp10 you have full control over which functions under Windows 10 you wish to use, and you decide when the passing on of your data goes too far. Read more...

O&O ShutUp10 1.7.1407

Razvan Serea — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 20:20:01 +0000

With O&O ShutUp10 you have full control over which functions under Windows 10 you wish to use, and you decide when the passing on of your data goes too far. Read more...

O&O ShutUp10 1.7.1406

Razvan Serea — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 11:42:01 +0000

With O&O ShutUp10 you have full control over which functions under Windows 10 you wish to use, and you decide when the passing on of your data goes too far. Read more...

Microsoft patent has Cortana providing insights on your messages

Rich Woods — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 20:42:01 +0000

A new patent filed by Microsoft could allow for Cortana to handle emails better. Cortana would actually learn to summarize your messages, rather than only being able to read them to you. Read more...