Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop
Windows Microsoft has a big new AI settings upgrade for Windows 11 on Copilot+ PCs – plus 3 other nifty tricks
The Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ in silver pictured on a wooden desk.
Windows Microsoft is working on some seriously exciting Windows 11 improvements – but not everyone will get them
A young woman is working on a laptop in a relaxed office space.
Windows New update for Windows 11 24H2 is the most feature-packed for some time, delivering some seriously useful additions
Amazon Echo Pop with LED indicator glowing
Smart Speakers Still waiting for Alexa+? Here are 3 ways to make your Echo speaker smarter today
ChatGPT on an iPhone
Artificial Intelligence 5 simple ChatGPT cheat codes to help you get better answers from AI
Man having Windows 11 problems with his laptop
Windows Windows 11 gets more AI upgrades we didn’t ask for – as Copilot pops up on the desktop and Microsoft Store
People using Windows 11 laptops
Windows Windows 11 search just got more powerful courtesy of Copilot - and I think this is a great use of AI, even if there'll still be haters
  1. Computing
  2. Software
  3. Windows

20 tips for getting more out of Cortana on Windows 10

How-to
By David Nield published 9 September 2016

Make Cortana your new best friend

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

20 tips for getting more out of Cortana

20 tips for getting more out of Cortana

With the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft has brought its smart digital assistant Cortana to the desktop (as well as the laptop and the tablet) - so we can all start talking to our computers. If you're feeling a little confused about just why that might be of use to you, we're here to help with some select Cortana tips and tricks.

Cortana takes over search duties on Windows 10 from the taskbar, so you can speak or type out your queries about anything from the height of your favourite celebrities to the short-term weather forecast. Cortana goes way beyond searches though - it can handle reminders, settings, messages and more.

  • Check out our collection of guides on how to use Windows 10
Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
1. Get Cortana to recognise you

1. Get Cortana to recognise you

To get the most out of Cortana you need to make sure it's set up to your requirements. One of the app's settings lets you have Cortana recognise the sound of your voice, in case you don't want any of your friends, family or work colleagues making use of the tool.

Click inside the Cortana search box, then click the cog icon to the left. Make sure the "Hey Cortana" shortcut is turned on, so Cortana can be launched with your voice, then select Learn how I say "Hey Cortana". After reading out six test phrases, you can check the option marked 'Try to respond only to me'.

  • How to personalize Cortana
Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
2. Block Cortana on the lock screen

2. Block Cortana on the lock screen

It's up to you if you want Cortana to be available from the lock screen (where you sign into Windows) - it means you can conveniently access it from anywhere, but it also means someone else could come along and check your calendar or read your messages if you've left your laptop unattended.

Click inside the Cortana search box, then click the cog icon on the left, then turn off the switch marked Use Cortana even when my device is locked. Alternatively, you can keep the feature enabled but prevent access to your most personal info by unticking the box underneath.

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
3. Tell Cortana where you work

3. Tell Cortana where you work

Not much use for the full-time parents or self-employed among you, but let Cortana know where your office is and you can get up-to-the-minute reports on how long it's going to take you to get there each morning, so traffic jams or bad weather don't catch you out.

Click inside the Cortana box on the taskbar, then scroll right down to the bottom to find the work address field. Once you've entered an address that Cortana is happy with, you'll get alerts about potential traffic problems, and you can use queries like "how long will it take to drive to work?".

  • How to get more from Windows 10
Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
4. Get weather updates from anywhere

4. Get weather updates from anywhere

The Notebook is where Cortana stores all its information about you, from how to pronounce your name to the football teams you're interested in. You can access it by clicking inside the Cortana search box on the taskbar then clicking the Notebook icon (third from the top on the left).

Select Weather from the bottom of the list and you can get forecast updates for places besides the one you live in (handy if you're planning a trip in the near future): click Add a city, tell Cortana where it is, and you can then enable forecasts and weather alerts.

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
5. Track news and entertainment headlines

5. Track news and entertainment headlines

Cortana is most useful when it's giving you the most relevant information, and another entry you'll find in the Notebook is for news - click inside the Cortana box on the taskbar, then click the Notebook icon (third from the top on the left), then click News to tell Cortana more about what you're interested in.

Click Add a topic if you want alerts and results about specific subjects in the news (like Google, Apple and Microsoft if you're a tech lover); click Add a category if you want Cortana to keep an eye on broader topics, such as entertainment and sports.

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
6. Use Cortana as a calculator

6. Use Cortana as a calculator

One of the ways you can use Cortana is as a calculator: ask it "what's 4 times 12?", or "what's the square root of 3,000?", or any other maths question and you'll get a response almost instantly. For even faster results you can just type "4x12" into the Cortana box.

For longer calculations you can type out brackets so the app is working out each sum in the order required. For some heavy-duty number-crunching you might prefer to load up the calculator app (just type "calc" into the Cortana search field), but for quick and easy sums Cortana works just fine.

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
7. Work out conversions with Cortana

7. Work out conversions with Cortana

Another of Cortana's handy skills is unit conversion, so you can quickly convert between dollars and pounds, or between kilometres and miles, or anything else that you'd normally fire up a web browser to check. It's actually pretty hard to catch out Cortana with something it doesn't know.

You need to specify the number of units to convert in your question, otherwise you'll just get the conversion rate for one of whatever it is you're working with. You can even combine multiple conversions in the same answer if you need to (e.g. "10 km in miles and yards").

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
8. Set reminders around times and places

8. Set reminders around times and places

Like any good personal assistant, Cortana will set up reminders for you, which can be linked to specific times and dates or places if needed - though you're going to need Cortana on a mobile device for it to be location-aware and for the triggers to work.

Simply say (or type) "remind me to..." and Cortana sets up a reminder, giving you the option of adding time or location triggers to it (you can mention these in the command if it's easier). Reminders can also be linked to specific people, so they'll appear whenever you text, email or call the specified contact.

  • How to use Cortana on an Android Phone
Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
9. Get Cortana to recognise songs

9. Get Cortana to recognise songs

You may have noticed a little music note icon in the top right-hand corner of the Cortana window when it appears on screen, and you can click on this to have the app try and recognise a song that's playing - a few seconds is all it needs most of the time, though the music must be clear and loud enough for your computer's microphone to pick up.

Asking Cortana "what's this song?" launches the same feature with no clicking required. Once a match has been found, as you might expect you can click through on it to search the Windows Store for some matching tracks.

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
10. Look up information from the web

10. Look up information from the web

Anything that you can search the web for, Cortana can look up - try facts like "who built the London Bridge?" or "how tall is Wayne Rooney?" for instance. If you want more details and a greater number of results follow the web search link, otherwise Cortana shows an instant answer at the top.

Asking questions like "when" or "who" is usually a good bet for getting an accurate answer, though of course Cortana doesn't know everything (at least not yet): it can tell you who discovered penicillin (Alexander Fleming) but not who George Clooney is married to (Amal Clooney).

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
11. Find out travel times to anywhere

11. Find out travel times to anywhere

Cortana is also adept at giving you current travel times to wherever you like, though you need to speak out your query rather than type it to get a proper response. Try "how long will it take to walk to London?" or "driving time to Manchester" for example.

Asking "how far is...?" works as well, though you might want to specify a mode of transport in your question. To set the default mode of travel Cortana uses for these queries, open the Notebook (third icon from the top on the left of the Cortana pane) then click on Getting around.

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
12. Change settings in Windows 10

12. Change settings in Windows 10

Still clicking through to the Control Panel to change settings in Windows? With Cortana, you can do it with your voice. Commands such as "turn off Wi-Fi" or "turn on Bluetooth" will toggle the specified settings accordingly, for example.

Cortana doesn't yet cover all of the settings and options in Windows 10 but you can also tell it to "open Control Panel" or "open Settings" if you want to quickly get to those screens. If there's a specific option that you're looking for (like "brightness"), try typing it into the Cortana search box on the taskbar, and click on the right result when it appears.

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
13. Search for files in Windows 10

13. Search for files in Windows 10

Cortana can also take over file searching duties: "show photos" or "show spreadsheets" brings up all the matching files you've had open recently, and you can type in filenames, extensions and wildcards just as you would in the File Explorer. With your voice or your keyboard you can create some fairly complicated queries.

If you're typing, you can use operators like "photos", "videos", "documents" and "folders", followed by a colon and your search term - Cortana then knows more about which type of file you're after and adjusts its results list accordingly. You can also narrow down searches by clicking on the More button at the top of the Cortana window.

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
14. Start playing some music

14. Start playing some music

If you need a DJ for your next house party then Cortana can oblige - as long as you've got all your music in Microsoft's own Groove app, that is. There are all kinds of commands here: even just "play some music" will shuffle all the tracks you've got in Groove.

If you want to be more specific you can tell Cortana to play certain artists, albums or songs, or say a genre of music you want to hear. Say "pause music" and "resume music" to stop and start playback, or "play the next track" to jump ahead in the current playlist.

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
15. Track your flights

15. Track your flights

Here's another handy trick Cortana can do: tracking flights. Type out the flight number of the plane you want to track, whether it's in the air or departing soon, and Cortana gives you a brief overview of its current status. Click on the top result to see more details (like airport terminal numbers) and a live map.

There are many different kinds of integrations like this buried in Cortana and Microsoft is adding more all the time. Chances are if you want information that's available on the web or in your (Microsoft) email or calendar app, then Cortana will be able to dig it out.

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
16. Send emails with Cortana

16. Send emails with Cortana

Cortana is also neatly tied into the email app on your Windows 10 computer. If you tell the digital assistant to "send email" then a little window pops up to help you dictate it with your voice; if you like, you can specify a contact name in your first command to speed up the process.

It's not all that suitable for lengthy missives but for quicker emails it works very well, and there is the option to continue composing the email in your application of choice (so you could start the process with Cortana then finish it in Outlook).

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
17. Create events on your calendar

17. Create events on your calendar

Another app that Cortana works well with is of course the Calendar app that comes with Windows 10. A broad range of voice and typed commands are supported, from "show me my schedule" to "what do I have on Tuesday?". Try "what's my next appointment?" to see what's coming up first.

You can create calendar events too - something like "add meeting at 3pm on Friday" would work, as would "add zoo visit at 2pm today". Cortana will show you the event before it books it in so you can make changes if necessary.

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
18. See what the weather's going to do

18. See what the weather's going to do

Predicting the weather is one of the first tricks any digital assistant learns to do: there's a ton of available data on the web, tapping into it isn't too difficult, and it's something a lot of people are interested in knowing. Cortana is happy to oblige.

There are plenty of commands you can use - "do I need an umbrella today?", "what's the weather like in New York?" and "what's the weather going to be like this weekend?" will all bring accurate responses out of Cortana.

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
19. Create alarms on your computer

19. Create alarms on your computer

Find yourself struggling to get out of bed in the morning? Always forgetting to take a lunch break because you love hard work so much? Windows 10 comes with its very own universal Alarms & Clock app and Cortana is ready to operate it for you.

The related commands are pretty straightforward - "set an alarm for 8pm", "set a timer for 10 minutes", "start stopwatch", "show my alarms" and so on, and further adjustments can be made in the main Windows 10 app. Bear in mind that these alarms are only going to sound if your computer is turned on.

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
20. Read up on more commands

20. Read up on more commands

Microsoft is committed to making Cortana the very best digital assistant that it can be, and already we've seen plenty of extra functions and features added to the app since it made its debut on the desktop. Try asking Cortana to do or look up anything, and you'll often come across new tricks you haven't uncovered before.

Type "Cortana help" into Cortana to see more of the commands you can use with the intelligent app, split up into categories such as email, music and travel. A growing number of third-party apps, including Uber and Netflix, are adding Cortana support too.

  • Everything else you need to know about using Windows 10
Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
TOPICS
Windows 10
David Nield
David Nield
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

See more Computing How Tos
Read more
A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop
Microsoft has a big new AI settings upgrade for Windows 11 on Copilot+ PCs – plus 3 other nifty tricks
The Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ in silver pictured on a wooden desk.
Microsoft is working on some seriously exciting Windows 11 improvements – but not everyone will get them
A young woman is working on a laptop in a relaxed office space.
New update for Windows 11 24H2 is the most feature-packed for some time, delivering some seriously useful additions
Amazon Echo Pop with LED indicator glowing
Still waiting for Alexa+? Here are 3 ways to make your Echo speaker smarter today
ChatGPT on an iPhone
5 simple ChatGPT cheat codes to help you get better answers from AI
Man having Windows 11 problems with his laptop
Windows 11 gets more AI upgrades we didn’t ask for – as Copilot pops up on the desktop and Microsoft Store
Latest in Windows
Windows 10's grave
It only took four years, but Windows 11 is now the most popular desktop OS - and time is running out for Windows 10
People using Windows 11 laptops
Windows 11 search just got more powerful courtesy of Copilot - and I think this is a great use of AI, even if there'll still be haters
Windows 10's grave
Confused by a mysterious update that's suddenly appeared on your Windows 10 PC? Don't panic – here's what you need to know
Mature man using laptop in a cafe, looking annoyed
Microsoft just gave the Windows 11 Notepad app a controversial feature that people are either loving or hating
Frustrated unhappy laptop user girl touching head at work table with computer
'It's obvious that users are frustrated': consumer rights group accuses Microsoft of not providing a 'viable solution' for Windows 10 users who can't upgrade to Windows 11
Woman disgusted by her laptop
No, Windows 11 PCs aren't 'up to 2.3x faster' than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here's why that's an outlandish claim
Latest in How Tos
Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar sprint to the finish line at Stage 12 of the 2024 Tour de France.
How to watch Tour de France 2025 Stage 3 for FREE
Henry Lloyd-Hughes as DS Nathan Rose in Ragdoll
How to watch Ragdoll on BBC iPlayer (it's free)
Finn Russell of British & Irish Lions makes a break in the lead up to his side's third try, scored by Elliot Daly, left, during the tour match between Western Force and the British & Irish Lions at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia.
Waratahs vs Lions FREE streams: How to watch British & Irish Lions tour live online from anywhere
England players singing national anthem
Argentina vs England FREE streams: How to watch 1st Test 2025 rugby live online from anywhere
Novak Djokovic plays a forehand at Wimbledon 2025
How to watch Evans vs Djokovic online: live stream Wimbledon 2025 tennis FREE
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell go head-to-head at the Austrian GP.
How to watch British Grand Prix F1 on Channel 4 today (it's free)
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    New to Prime Video? Here are 5 movies and TV shows with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes to get you started
  2. 2
    Signing up to Amazon Prime for Prime Day? Stream these 7 Prime Video original TV shows rated better than 90% on Rotten Tomatoes to maximize your subscription
  3. 3
    The best vacuum cleaner deals in the Amazon Prime Day sales – as chosen by a vacuum reviewer and sales expert
  4. 4
    Get the dunce's cap - experts warn pathetically weak passwords in the education sector leave classrooms at risk
  5. 5
    Amazon makes many Fire TVs, but there’s only one I’d buy in the Prime Day sales

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...