Developers software for computers and smartphones never ceases to amaze with their original and incredibly useful ideas.
Mobile software developers regularly release useful applications for work
Owners of smartphones on which the operating system is installed Windows Phone, received an incredible gift - the voice assistant Cortana. She is ready to assist in obtaining all kinds of information.
Unfortunately, Cortana is not distributed in the Russian space; the program is not aimed at Russian users. But despite this, many still actively want to know how to enable Cortana on Windows 10 or on a smartphone.
Cortana is an interesting digital assistant that was developed specifically for smartphones about two years ago, so Windows users Phone were the first to get the opportunity to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of the program.
Activating Cortana
Cortana is an analogue of Apple's Siri program, which is already familiar to smartphone users. Digital Assistant makes it easier for the user to perform search tasks. He is successfully ready to find the necessary files located on the memory card. In addition, Cortana can quite easily find information on the Internet and plot a route that will lead to specified objects.
Modern users highly appreciate such functionality, because Cortana allows you to save time as much as possible.
Along with such obvious advantages, Cortana also has one significant drawback, which is this moment directly concerns the Russian-speaking user. Unfortunately, not only does there not yet exist a Russian-language version, but it is also impossible to enable Cortana on Windows Phone targeted at the Russian region.
Fortunately, there is no limit to the creative and technical ideas of a modern person, so ways have been found to circumvent the imposed bans and still enable Cortana on your smartphone.
So, in order to understand how to enable Cortana, it is important to familiarize yourself with the existing recommendations. First of all, you need to go to the notification center and find the “All settings” icon. Next, you need to make several transitions to the “Language” tab, where from the list of proposed languages you should select English, aimed at users from the United States.
After this, the next transition is to the “Region” tab, where the country of residence is selected - the USA. The main actions have already been completed, after which you can go to the list of applications and find Cortana appearing there. If it continues to be missing from the list, you just need to restart your smartphone so that all the changes made are accepted by Windows Phone.
You can use the voice assistant right away, but only for English language. When the user gets tired of the English-language menu and expresses a desire to return to the Russian-language settings, Cortana will disappear from the smartphone again.
Russian-speaking users hope that a Russian-speaking assistant will appear soon, but the Cortana developers have not made any statements on this matter.
Launching a voice assistant on your computer
Only a couple of years have passed since the appearance of Cortana, developed for smartphones, when the developers again tried to surprise users by releasing the original version of the beloved application, but now focused on Windows 10.
Of course, a lot of people instantly appeared wanting to know how to enable Cortana on Windows 10.
Activating the desktop version of Cortana
The voice assistant, designed specifically for Windows 10, has even more advanced functionality. It not only allows you to perform quick and trouble-free searches, but also, at the user’s request, launch certain programs, carry out system adjustments, and also work with files.
Unfortunately, at the moment there are only six languages in which the program is able to understand user requirements. Russian is not included in this list. For this reason, users of computer equipment on which Windows 10 is installed will not be able to find Cortana.
To enable such an original application on Windows 10, you need to follow a few very simple steps. Initially, click “Start”, then go to “Settings”, find the line “Time and language”. The region must be set to USA and the language to English. After making such changes, Windows 10 itself will prompt the user to download a language pack; this, of course, must be agreed with.
One important detail to consider when installing the English package is installing English accent recognition. This is very important because it will make it easier for Cortana to recognize voice requests Russian speaking user, who clearly has an accent.
For the changes to take effect, a reboot is traditionally suggested. After all the actions, Cortana will appear on the computer, and the user will be able to evaluate it in practice. Unfortunately, all this time you will have to be satisfied with the English-language interface of the system. You can return the Russian interface at any moment, but along with its return, the Cortana that has appeared and has already been activated will disappear.
So, the voice assistant Cortana is very popular among smartphone and computer users. The only thing they all actively dream about is that the developers take the initiative and introduce the Russian language into the application.
NeoBot uses the Yandex SpeechKit Cloud platform, which guarantees high-quality speech recognition. Therefore, you should not have any problems understanding. Communication with the bot is activated by the red button with the image of a microphone, which is located in the lower right corner. You can also ask a question in text.
If you are familiar with the work similar apps, then you shouldn’t have any difficulties. In the program, all supported commands are located in the help section, and there you can see how best to construct your phrases when communicating. The assistant can communicate at the most different topics- weather, time of day, caloric content of food, recipes, currencies, stock quotes, cinema, holidays, cities and countries and much, much more.
NeoBot displays most of the answers to your questions directly on the communication screen, finding information on the Internet. Unfortunately, sometimes the assistant cannot find the information you need on the Internet and, as an answer, redirects you to search engine. For example, Paul McCartney's age will be searched on Google, and films starring Robert De Niro will be searched on Kinopoisk. You can also ask NeoBot to perform a query on a given search engine.
For a wide range of users, the most interesting features are the ability to control the device - sending SMS messages to contacts, making calls, controlling the camera and getting directions. The first and second can be done by calling the full phone number or contact name. Routes will be laid through Yandex.Maps.
NeoBot is also capable of performing humorous commands; it can tell you a joke or express its opinion about Apple. You can communicate with phrases like “What are you doing now?” and “Where do babies come from?” The developers promise that in the future the voice assistant will learn not just to respond to requests, but to maintain a dialogue with the user.
Given that the application is new, sometimes minor problems are noticed in NeoBot’s operation. We hope that the developers will continue to develop their application on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. At the same time, NeoBot has an excellent opportunity to occupy the Russian market.
Also available trial version during the day.
One of the most striking innovations in Windows 10 is the voice assistant - analogue of Siri at Apple products. Cortana has already been encountered by users in mobile version Windows 8.1, but in the “ten” it became available for PCs and significantly expanded its capabilities.
With this program, you can send and view email, create notes and reminders, search for files on your hard drive or the information you need on the Internet, translate words and phrases into other languages, and much more. Unfortunately, at the time of the release of Windows 10, support for the Russian language was not yet implemented. This article describes how to enable Cortana if you live in Russia.
Microsoft account
To activate Cortana, you will need to sign in to Windows 10 using Microsoft account. With ordinary local accounts the assistant doesn't work. If you don't have an account, you need to create one. Follow the instructions:
Changing language settings
Since there is currently no Russian localization of Cortana, its work is disabled for Russia. To enable the voice assistant, you will need to change the region and interface language of your Windows 10 operating system.
To do this, do the following:
Exists Windows version 10 with support for only one language. If you have it installed, you will not be able to change the system language. In this case, you must either reinstall the OS and select English as the main language, or wait for Cortana to be localized.
Launching and setting up Cortana
Once you have signed into Windows 10 via account Microsoft and changed primary language and region of your system, You you can enable Cortana:
Additional operating system settings
For Cortana to work as efficiently as possible, it needs access to your personal data: calendars, email, and so on. In addition, to better understand your speech and handwriting, you must give permission to save copies.
Do the following:
The assistant will now collect samples of your voice and keyboard input and analyze it to understand you better.
Video on the topic
The new Windows 10 OS now has a voice assistant - Cortana. The appearance of this function at Microsoft has long been expected, because Apple has long embodied this idea in Siri and Google’s platform has already begun to implement similar developments into its operating system.
What is Cortana in Windows 10?
First this system appeared as an assistant for Windows Phone. What was commonplace and standard for Mac and iOS users has become new for Windows users. Many reacted negatively to the new product. In this article we will try to understand all the pros and cons and consider all the functions of the voice assistant. The application is distributed free of charge with all licensed copies.
Cortana Features Overview
The creators tried to make the Cortana service as functional and friendly as possible. New features are added as we update them, so the list of all may not be complete or definitive.
Cortana is a full-fledged assistant in all matters. Its capabilities are amazing. Firstly, it helps to plan events, meetings and carefully reminds you of them. At your request, the program will collect the necessary information, structure it and display it for you to see. You can discuss upcoming meetings with her and mark important dates. The service will carefully remind you of everything.
- Voice control is one of the main functions. Cortana improves and evolves with every new version. It is clear that a full-fledged interlocutor this program impossible to do. But no one is prohibited from improving and adding features. All requests and control can be done using voice. Those phrases that Cortana does not understand can be entered into a special field. Just turn on Cortana and it will start collecting information about your requests and personal data. Imitation of communication is an experimental aspect of the assistant's work. She will help you in all matters related to working with a PC and even tell you how to use certain functions. Very convenient for beginners.
- And the most important element of the program is voice search, which can be opened through the Start menu. This function will not surprise anyone, but Windows is trying to pass off such an ordinary phenomenon as unique. Assistant with voice control Cortana Windows 10 can handle almost any request and wording. You can also control navigation through your system - search for files, clean up the disk, delete folders, and so on. Cortana is like a secretary - it does monotonous paperwork and notifies you about upcoming important events. If you wish, you can clear all notifications with a voice command and take a break from the intrusive Cortana assistant.
Russian version
For Russian users of Microsoft products, there is one unpleasant moment: Cortana does not work in Russian. Moreover, at launch the application only supported English and Chinese languages. Gradually, developers began to add the most relevant languages in the world. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten to Russian yet. Because of this, it is impossible to work with Cortana without a minimum knowledge of English. Cortana in Russian will not appear in Windows 10 any time soon - there is still no official announcement. The developers are silent, and users can only hope for an early announcement. If support for the Russian language appears, this will greatly expand the user base and increase sales. Download at pirated version there is no possibility.
How to enable or launch Cortana in Windows 10 while in Russia
So, Cortana. It is not so easy to establish relationships with her. Not all countries are supported by it, so you have to cheat. And, it would seem, set the settings in such a way that it would seem to the computer that we are in the USA, and everything is fine. But in some cases, this process may take longer and more effort. So, what will you have to go through to become friends with Cortana?
This only works in licensed version windows In any case, you can always turn off the application if you experience difficulties.
How to disable Cortana in Windows 10?
This procedure will take you no more than a minute.
- Go to Settings and find the “Privacy” section there.
- In “Privacy”, in turn, there is a section “Speech, inking and typing”. Let's go there.
- In this section you need to click on the “Stop getting to now me” button.
Basically, that's all. Cortana will be turned off, and the information collected while using it will be deleted. But you can always turn it back on. That is, Cortana is part of the Windows 10 system, so in this way we can only disable Cortana, but not remove it. Then return the previous settings back and change USA to Russia and english to Russian. And if this bothers you, read on.
How to remove Cortana on Windows 10?
To remove, you will need additional install_wim_tweak files with the cmd extension. We immediately warn you that by uninstalling Cortana, you will damage the entire system, so problems may arise. So what do you do? in this case at one's own risk.
But if you really need to delete for some reason, it is recommended to do the following:
How to enable Cortana in Windows Phone Mobile 10?
If you are the owner of Windows Phone Mobile 10, then you may have problems installing some applications, but you can enable Cortana on your phone. Installing Cortana on your phone is quite simple. You will need to change the settings in two sections: “Language” and “Region”.
- First, in the settings we find the first section - “Language” - and instead of Russian, select English.
- After that we reboot.
- The phone turned on, and you can go to the “Region” section. Here it is necessary to point out that we are now supposedly not in Russia, but in the USA.
- We reboot again.
- Now all we need to do is find Cortana among all the programs and launch it.
Bottom line
Many people are concerned about the question: “When will Cortana appear in Windows 10 in Russia?” The release date for Cortana in Windows 10 is unknown. Perhaps this is a big mistake for Microsoft, since they are depriving themselves of a huge percentage of software sales.
Cortana is a Windows virtual voice assistant with artificial intelligence. Allows users to communicate with their device using voice commands - search for information much faster, navigate between applications, and check incoming emails. Cortana was developed by Microsoft as a major voice competitor. Google Assistants Now and Siri.
According to the idea of the developers of the voice assistant, Cortana was created in the likeness of the program of the same name - artificial intelligence from the game Halo. The voice with which the voice assistant gives users answers belongs to the same actress Jane Taylor, who took part in the voice acting of Cortana in the game universe.
Microsoft's voice assistant can only be used by users over the age of thirteen. Before searching for a user's request, Cortana checks the personal information of the Microsoft account owner; if the age does not meet the stated requirements, the assistant will notify the user and stop searching.
So far, Cortana does not understand Russian, so you will have to communicate with it (give commands) in English. They have long promised to Russify Cortana, but so far the situation on this issue has not changed. So let’s train our English skills together. 😉
How does Cortana work?
Cortana is integrated into the Windows search engine. The program can be given access to personal data - e-mail, phone or address book, search query history. Based on this information, the program is able to study, analyze and identify patterns in the user’s behavior, thereby predicting his future needs. When searching the Internet, Cortana uses the Bing search engine, also from Microsoft, or searches for files on the computer using standard tools.
In order to start using the assistant, you can type the question you are interested in into the Windows search bar on the taskbar, or switch the system to voice command recognition mode and say the phrase: “Hey, Cortana.” In the latest releases operating systems In Windows, you can activate the voice assistant immediately after installing the system.
Cortana works and understands commands in the following languages: English, Portuguese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese. The voice assistant temporarily does not support systems with Russian-language localizations. Representatives of Microsoft, in one of the interviews, voiced one of possible reasons lack of Russian translation - lack of well-trained specialists in Russia. Since Cortana is not a simple voice assistant, but a learning artificial intelligence, simple voice acting is not enough. It takes a lot of time to process and translate all the response templates that the Microsoft voice assistant must have. According to recent rumors, the company has postponed the release of the Russian-language Cortana to 2020.
How to set up Cortana on your computer?
Before you can search using Cortana, you must register or log in to your account. Microsoft records. To do this, go to the following path: Start → Settings → Accounts. In the window that opens, select “Sign in with a Microsoft account.”
After successful login, you need to activate Cortana. Since the program is not available for Russian localization, for it to work you need to change the system language to any of the supported ones (in our example, English). To change the language from the system parameters, you need to go to the Time and Language category and there go to the Region and Language section.
Then, in the languages tab, select the English language pack and click the “Use as primary” button.
If the system does not initially provide the required language pack, it must be downloaded from Windows Store by clicking on the “Add language” button.
After this, either log out or restart your computer. And only after all the procedures can Cortana be activated. To do this, go to the search on the toolbar, and in the options allow the use of Cortana and launch by voice command.
For more efficient work Cortana, it is recommended to allow access to the user's personal data. To do this, using the Win+I key combination, you need to go to settings, and from there to the privacy section. Here you need to look through the sections: General, Location, Microphone, Speech and text input; and give the system the appropriate permissions.
Once all settings are complete, Cortana is ready to use. Now let's look at the main features and most common scenarios for using a voice assistant.
Cortana features
As mentioned above, the main goal of Cortana's development is to create an assistant that would simplify the user's life, help make his usual tasks more efficient, without being distracted from his current affairs.
Let's see how Microsoft implemented this. And using examples, we will analyze the main features and the most popular voice commands that you can ask Cortana to perform.
Reminds you of an event
Cortana allows you to set reminders, associate them with a specific person, mark a meeting location, and set the required time. To create a reminder, use the following command:
In the field that appears, forms will appear that you can fill out if necessary.
You can see all scheduled reminders using the command:
All subsequent reminders will appear in the search bar; you can go into each one and change its parameters.
Schedule an event on the calendar
By giving Cortana access to your personal calendar, the user can use voice commands to create in it. To do this, just tell Cortana:
Create a calendar event
It is also possible to see a list of all events on the calendar:
Cortana will display all scheduled meetings, any event can be edited and changes made to it.
Set an alarm
To set an alarm, use the command
A field will open in front of the user where he will need to select the time and frequency of the alarm.
You can view the list of active alarms using the command:
The list that opens will contain all the set alarms.
Shows current weather
The Start panel will display results for that location.
But in order for the results to be viewed not from the search results, but directly from the launcher, the weather application from the Microsoft store must be installed.
Will help you find out how to get to any place
To do this you can use the command
Show me directions to (and name the location where you need to go)
Cortana will automatically launch the Maps app. If this application has already been granted all the necessary permissions, using the geolocation service, Cortana will determine your current location, find end point route and will show the path on the map. 
Find files on your computer or cloud storage
To do this, just name the file and the voice assistant will show all possible matches right in the start menu, be it similar files on your computer or the cloud.
Launch the desired application
To launch any application, just ask Cortana about it:
The assistant will find and launch the right application. If there are several applications with a similar name, the voice assistant will offer the entire list to the user.
Perform an internet search
Using Cortana, there is no longer any need to enter the desired search query in the browser, just say the search phrase:
Cortana will automatically open Edge browser and in the Bing search engine it will show results for the query of interest.
We looked at the most popular methods of using Cortana and the commands for doing so. But this is only part of the capabilities of this assistant; due to constant training during long-term communication, Cortana will be able to remember and predict some user actions, helping to quickly find the necessary information.
Cortana for mobile devices
In addition to the desktop version of the program, Cortana supports Windows Mobile, and in 2015 Microsoft added support for Android and iOS. Let's look at the example of a voice assistant for an Android smartphone, what functionality mobile Cortana provides, and are there any differences.
The process of installing Cortana on Android
To install, you need to download the apk distribution kit from the official store. During the installation process, grant the program all necessary permissions. Once launched, the program will require you to sign in to your Microsoft account.
Once installed, a Cortana icon will appear on your desktop.
Launch and features of mobile Cortana
You can only launch the voice assistant manually; there is no voice launch like in the desktop version. In the program menu in the lower left part there will be a microphone icon, by clicking on which you can say the search query you are interested in, or ask Cortana to perform a simple action. For example, let's ask Cortana to make a call. Click the microphone icon and say the phrase:
Call to (contact name)
But, since the program only works in English, it is necessary that the contacts in the directory are also in English.
In addition to calls, Microsoft's voice assistant can send SMS, create text notes, tell us about a fact that interests us, set an alarm, or search the Internet for any request. The program understands my imperfect English quite well. But unlike the desktop version, the program cannot search for files or launch applications.
***
Smart voice assistants are now the norm modern smartphones and computers. But at the moment, the developers are only at the very beginning of their journey. Voice assistants can easily handle simple tasks, but they are not yet capable of performing more complex logical actions. However, the development of voice assistant technology will make it possible to complete any task even more efficiently.
But it is imperative to note the point that for such a voice assistant to better interact with its user, more and more access to personal information will be necessary. In order for the program to better understand speech, it needs to listen to many hours of personal conversations; to ensure safe driving of the car, it is necessary to install cameras in the cabin. Not everyone may like this. Since the information owned by the voice assistant can be stolen by a hacker or intelligence agencies can obtain it upon request. But that's the price it's worth modern development technologies.
Updated: December 17, 2019 by: admin