Setting up and customizing Cortana on Windows-11:
Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up and customizing Cortana on Windows-11.
Step 1: Open Cortana
- Click on the Start button located in the taskbar or press the Windows key.
- In the Start menu, you will see a search bar at the top. Type "Cortana" into the search bar and click on the Cortana app that appears in the search results.
Step 2: Sign in to Microsoft Account
- If you haven't signed in to your Microsoft account yet, Cortana will prompt you to sign in. Enter your email address associated with your Microsoft account and click "Next".
- Enter your password for your Microsoft account and click "Sign in".
Step 3: Set Up Permissions
- Once signed in, you'll need to grant permissions for certain features of Cortana. These include location access, microphone access, contacts access (if desired), calendar access (if desired), etc.
- Follow the prompts provided by Cortana to enable or disable these permissions based on your preferences.
Step 4: Customize Your Interactions with Cortana
- In order to customize how you interact with Cortana, click on the three horizontal lines icon located at the top left corner of its window.
- From here, select "Settings" from where it shows a drop-down menu.
Step 5: Personalize Your Experience
a) Choose Your Name:
- Under Settings > Profile > Name section allows you to change how Cortana addresses you personally.
- Click on "Choose my name" option which opens a pop-up window where you can enter or edit your preferred nickname or name that suits how you want
it addressed by Cortanta.
b) Change Your Accent:
- Under Settings > Language and Region > Voice Options section, you can select a preferred voice accent for Cortana.
- Click on "Change" button next to "Speak in" option that opens a drop-down menu with various accents to choose from. Select the one you prefer.
c) Manage Interests:
- Under Settings > Interests section, you can customize the topics and news categories that Cortana provides information about.
- Click on "Add an interest" button to add specific topics of your preference or click on existing interests to remove them.
d) Enable Wake Word (optional):
- By default, Cortana listens when you say "Hey Cortana". But if you prefer not to use the wake word, you can enable it so that Cortana responds
directly without needing any trigger phrase.
- Go to Settings > Wake word and toggle the switch for "Let me use Cortana without saying Hey Cortana".
Step 6: Choose Your Favorite Apps and Services
- To further personalize your experience with Cortana, go back to its main window by clicking on the three horizontal lines icon again.
- From here, select "My Skills" from where it shows a drop-down menu.
- This will show a list of available skills or integrations with various apps and services such as Spotify, Outlook Calendar, etc. You can enable
these skills based on your preferences by clicking on each integration and following the prompts.
Step 7: Customize Notifications
- If desired notifications settings need adjustments according to your needs:
a) Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows key + I shortcut or search for “Settings” in Start Menu search bar.
b) In Windows Settings window locate “System” category then click on “Notifications & actions” option in left sidebar menu
c) Scroll down until you find “Get notifications from apps and other senders”, there you’ll find a list of apps and services.
d) Find Cortana in the list and toggle the switch to enable or disable notifications for it.
That's it! You have now set up and customized Cortana on Windows-11. You can now start interacting with Cortana, asking questions, setting reminders, or using its other features based on your preferences. Remember that you can always go back to the settings to make further adjustments as needed.