14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is no longer super-committed to Cortana, with the company itself recently backing away from some consumer-oriented features of the assistant.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the software giant wants to get rid of Cortana entirely, so more recently, the company brought back an essential feature in Windows 10.
More specifically, Microsoft has recently re-enabled the Cortana wake word in Windows 10, pretty much making it possible for users to launch the assistant and then perform certain features without even touching the device.
The Cortana wake word was originally disabled in Windows 10, but a recent update re-enabled the feature in both version 2004 and older releases of the operating system.
“The wake word has been re-enabled in the latest version of Cortana in Windows. If you're on Windows 10, May 2020 Update, be sure that you've updated to build 19041.329 or later to use the wake word with Cortana. For earlier builds, you can still click on the microphone button to use your voice with Cortana. In Windows 10, November 2019 Update and earlier versions, you can activate ‘Cortana’ mode by opening Cortana, selecting Settings then Talk to Cortana. Under Hey Cortana switch the toggle to on,” Microsoft explains.
A second-class Windows citizen
Microsoft has gradually made Cortana a second-class citizen in Windows 10, but the company still keeps the assistant around, mostly with a focus on enterprises.
However, you can still use Cortana for things like launching apps with simple commands such as “Cortana, open Microsoft Word,” or just to fire up certain settings like “Cortana, open Bluetooth settings.”
What does this mean in the long term? Is Microsoft re-becoming committed to Cortana in Windows 10? Not really, as the company has already announced the demise of mobile apps of Cortana and several other changes aimed at consumers, so for now, it’s pretty clear the focus remains on the enterprise.