I feel your absence.
I feel your absence.
There isn’t a straightforward method to reintegrate Cortana into the search bar in Windows 11. The new search interface at the start feels less intuitive, making it harder to access settings or apps like Cortana used to. The Cortana app now functions more like a search tool rather than being deeply integrated with the operating system. I remember how much I appreciated Cortana’s personality and helpfulness when it launched—it was quite charming. However, its performance issues, such as slow responses and occasional sign-in problems, limited its use. Regarding the Alexa-Cortana partnership, there seems to be no official update or rollout, so you might want to check official sources for any developments.
Cortana is retired. It was reworked into an AI model for PowerPoint design and a search feature within Office, but these changes removed all its original functions. Essentially, it no longer exists in its current form. You can remove it using the command: > winget uninstall Cortana
It's odd how people view Cortana as a helpful assistant, but if it actually helps you, that's better. I treat her more like a fancy search tool than the standard option. It's amusing that I lost her in Shutup10 due to some strange settings—they really should warn users that certain options can turn her off completely, even beyond just the settings menu. The latest version seems much more confusing than the previous one; it's hard to figure out what to do. I'm puzzled since I used to disable some features (like app updates) but definitely not Cortana. It feels strange that there isn't a mod available to bring her back for Windows 10 or 11. I even created an app today out of frustration, but somehow she worked again! The app just shows up and doesn't do anything useful, except exist. : D
It performed well on the phone, even with Android, which was my initial impression. That’s why I nearly purchased a BO smart speaker with Cortana—just once more, integration issues stood out. A side thought: Windows 8 and 8.1 were favorites, though the 8.1 felt less refined. I remember being one of the early adopters of a 2-in-1 Dell XPS with a WQHD+ 3200x1800 display in 2013. Looking back, design trends seem to be moving backward. It was bold and daring to experiment with new shapes, unlike today’s sleek, thin models. No one seems eager to try unconventional designs. The device stood out for its unique personality among the four AI assistants. It also performed better for internal searches in Windows settings compared to the current search bar. Still, it was slow and required login—something I avoided. Now I’m struggling with three or four attempts on SeaEbox if I ever manage to get it. I’d prefer an animation or a more game-like feel instead of a simple circle, something reminiscent of “Her.” Back then, I had a strange connection to that idea. P.S. In the Google world, I see it as a starch assistant; Alexa and Siri are the main contenders, with Siri being the only one that hasn’t seen major updates since 2016 as a personal assistant.
yeah, i can totally imagine it being great on phones, i never tried it though and i just read there was an app... weird i never saw that, and i suppose it can't be downloaded anymore, at least officially... yeah, exactly... you can also customize her pretty well, like i think even turn off web search, i have it all on though because its easy enough to tell which is what... ("shutup10" messed it up quite a bit though, seriously the older version was so much less "intrusive", the new version outright removes windows features instead of just turning them off ... it used to show always the same 5 "top apps" but now they're changing, not sure how to get that back lol...) i mostly use it for command prompt actually, just 2 clicks, i dont even need to type anything to open it. Thats how my Cortana looked for the past ~5 years... but yeah, not sure how to restore the "top apps"... actually i never used calculator lol... it must have been kind of the default "top apps". (now its just random stuff i used last - kind of useless) thats for voice i suppose? im never signed in and its blazing fast (another reason I like using it) edit: yeah, it would have made sense to let her control your home etc, i don't know on PS3, and probably also on Xbox, you could just say "PS3 launch "game X" or "launch the browser" etc, i suppose that at least worked on Windows/ Cortana too(?) but i don't actually have a mic so i never tried that on Windows (i have an old beaten up headset that i used for my PS3, but yeah, idk where it is and i never used it with a PC...) ^ I actually thought that would be the "future" also gesture controls, but somehow that never took off, except "Alexa" which isnt something im interested in due to it being a google thing ...