Microsoft will Remove Cortana App from Windows 11

Microsoft has officially announced that starting in August 2023 i.e. this month, the company will end support for the Cortana app in Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. The Cortana app will no longer be supported by Microsoft and users will be able to uninstall or remove Cortana app using Start Menu or Settings app just like a regular UWP app. Microsoft will also completely remove the Cortana app from future versions of Windows 11 and it’ll not come preinstalled or bundled with the OS.

Table of Contents

History of Cortana App in Windows 10 and Windows 11
Microsoft Deprecates Cortana App in Windows
Alternative Digital Tools to Replace Cortana in Windows 11
Microsoft Allows Uninstalling Cortana App in Windows 11 Testing Builds
How to Disable or Remove Cortana in Windows 11 Stable?
Cortana to Disappear from Future Versions of Windows 11

History of Cortana App in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Cortana is a personal digital or virtual assistant tool which comes preinstalled with Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. It was developed by Microsoft to compete with other digital or voice assistant programs such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri or Samsung Bixby.

Cortana was first introduced in Windows Phone in 2014. Later it was integrated with the Search functionality in Windows 10 operating system in 2015. Microsoft also released Cortana for Android and iPhone (iOS) but after a few years, Microsoft ended support for Cortana on smartphones in 2019.

In newer versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, Microsoft separated Cortana from Search and made it a standalone app which could be accessed or launched using its dedicated app icon on the Taskbar.

Even after several attempts to enhance and improve Cortana, the app didn’t get much love and support from Windows users and finally Microsoft decided to remove the app completely.

Microsoft Deprecates Cortana App in Windows

Now Microsoft has announced that the company will stop supporting Cortana app starting this month i.e. August 2023.

Here is what Microsoft posted in official announcement:

We are making some changes to Windows that will impact users of the Cortana app. Starting in August 2023, we will no longer support Cortana in Windows as a standalone app. However, you can still access powerful productivity features in Windows and Edge, which have increased AI capabilities. This means you can still get help with your tasks, calendar, and email, but in new and exciting ways. This change only impacts Cortana in Windows, and your productivity assistant, Cortana, will continue to be available in Outlook mobile, Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams rooms. Instead of clicking the Cortana icon and launching the app to begin using voice, now you can use voice and satisfy your productivity needs through different tools.

Alternative Digital Tools to Replace Cortana in Windows 11

Microsoft also mentioned other services and tools which will replace Cortana in Windows 11 which are as following:

Voice access in Windows 11: Lets you control your PC and write text using your voice. You can use voice commands to open and switch between apps, browse the web, and read and write emails. Voice access works offline and uses advanced speech recognition to understand your speech and help you get things done.

The new AI-powered Bing: Lets you ask complex questions and get concise answers from reliable sources on the web. You can type or speak your questions and Bing Chat will give you a succinct answer citing multiple trusted sources.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: This is a new feature that uses AI to turn your words into a powerful productivity tool. Copilot uses your Microsoft 365 data—such as your calendar, emails, chats, documents, and meetings—to help you create, edit, share content, and more.

Windows Copilot: Available in preview for Windows 11 in June, Windows Copilot provides centralized AI assistance. (How-to Enable/Disable Guide)

Users might be able to use these new alternative tools in Windows 11 23H2 which is the next Moment or feature drop update scheduled to release in fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.

Microsoft Allows Uninstalling Cortana App in Windows 11 Testing Builds

Microsoft has already started working to remove Cortana app from Windows 11 operating system. If you are using the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview build and you update Cortana to the latest version, the app displays following message upon launch:

Cortana in Windows as a standalone app in deprecated.

Microsoft now also allows users to uninstall or delete Cortana app from Windows 11. In the latest Insider Preview build, users can right-click on Cortana shortcut in Start Menu and select “Uninstall” option from the context menu to completely get rid of the app.

Users can also uninstall Cortana app using Settings -> Apps -> Installed Apps page in Windows 11 preview builds.

Previously it was not possible to uninstall or remove Cortana app in Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating systems. The app was locked and users were unable to remove it.

How to Disable or Remove Cortana in Windows 11 Stable?

If you are using a public stable version of Windows 11, you can delete Cortana app using following command in Terminal:

winget uninstall cortana

Accept the confirmation message and it’ll permanently remove Cortana from your Windows 11 device.

Cortana to Disappear from Future Versions of Windows 11

In future versions of Windows 11, Cortana app will no longer present and Microsoft will not include the app in the OS. Cortana app has been deprecated and it’ll disappear from newer versions of Windows 11. It’ll be replaced by other advanced AI-based services and tools in future versions of Windows 11 such as 23H2 and later versions.

Also Check:

[Windows 10 Tip] Remove Cortana, Microsoft Edge, Contact Support and Feedback Apps

[Tip] Disable Cortana and Bing Search Results in Windows 10