Windows 10 Will No Longer Let You Disable Cortana Starting August 2

[JackSparrow]

The debut of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is just around the corner, and it turns out that Microsoft is making one unexpected change that will certainly lead to more criticism in the community.

Starting with the Anniversary Update, users are no longer allowed to completely disable Cortana, but only to hide it from the taskbar (shutting down Cortana will be possible with additional tweaks that involve turning off some services, but for the average Joe, that’s clearly not an option).

In the current version of Windows 10 (for retail users), Cortana can be turned off from Settings, and its taskbar icon is replaced with a search icon that lets you perform searches with Bing. The Anniversary Update changes this behavior, BI notes, and Cortana will continue to search for information locally even if you disable it.

The Pro and Enterprise versions of Windows 10, as well as the corresponding Education SKUs, will come with options to disable Cortana, but for Home users, that will be impossible.

One possible workaround for Cortana is to sign out of the personal assistant, so it won’t use an account when you perform searches. Microsoft can collect anonymous data, but at least it won’t be tied to your account - the company has previously assured that no account data is collected anyway, so users are supposed to be safe at all times.

“Users will love Cortana”

In statements released regarding the new Cortana behavior in Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft avoids saying it clearly that it’ll be impossible to disable it but notes that users will benefit from the personal assistant and the new features that are being introduced.

“With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, the search box is now Cortana. Customers can expect the same great search experience powered by Bing and Microsoft Edge with the added benefit of Cortana’s personality,” a company spokesperson is quoted as saying.

“We know consumers want choice and we make it easy to customize Cortana’s personalization or opt-out of Cortana’s suite of personalized services. Cortana works best when you sign in, but if you choose not to, you can still use her to chat, search the web and your Windows device. If you like, you can also easily hide Cortana and the search box in the taskbar altogether.”

It remains to be seen how users react to this new change and how Microsoft adapts to their feedback, as the company claims that it’s willing to tweak the operating system based on user suggestions.