How to enable ‘Hey Cortana’ hands-free feature on Windows 10

You can simply say "Hey Cortana" to activate the digital assistant on Windows 10, but the option comes disabled by default. Here's how to enable it.

Hey Hey Cortana on Windows 10

You’re probably already running Windows 10 on your PC and trying to use the “Hey Cortana” feature with the Microsoft’s digital assistant doesn’t work. This is because for security concerns, by default this feature is disabled.

In this Windows 10 guide, you will learn the steps to enable Hey Cortana on Windows 10 to use the Microsoft digital assistant hands-free.

How to enable Hey Cortana on Windows 10

  1. Open Cortana from the Taskbar.

  2. Click the Notebook icon.

  3. Click Settings.

  4. Turn on the Hey Cortana (Let Cortana respond when you say “Hey Cortana”) option to enable the feature.

    Enable Hey Cortana on Windows 10

Once the feature is enabled, you can launch Cortana hands-free by simply saying “Hey Cortana”, but make sure you have a microphone and speakers setup properly in your computer.

After you’re done with the process, you can simply say “Hey Cortana” and without waiting simply ask what you need, like: “What’s the weather like for tomorrow?” and Cortana will respond accordingly.

Also, if talking to Cortana in Windows 10 doesn’t seem to be working for you, you can always type the question with your keyboard.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].