Cortana is Microsoft virtual assistant, incorporated from the Windows 10 version to facilitate practically any task that the user wants to execute using the Artificial Intelligence. This is something that the main technological giants such as Apple with "Siri", Amazon with "Alexa" and Google have already incorporated. It is undoubtedly a very useful tool for solve simple tasks for which it has been designed, although Cortana is frequently updated including improvements and bug fixes thanks to interaction with users, becoming a better version every year. You may think that this only serves to open applications or search for a record on the internet, but Cortana goes much further. As we will discuss later, this assistant is capable of carrying out very complex functions at breakneck speed.
However, this virtual assistant often goes unnoticed and we do not take advantage of it as we could, either because we do not know how to use it or because we do not know some of its features. tips or tricks to get the most out of it. But you don't have to worry, since in this article we will teach you everything you need to know to start using this tool and make the most of all its advantages, so we encourage you to stay reading this information that may be very useful to you.
How to set up and use Cortana
The first thing we will have to do if you have never used this virtual assistant is activate it. To do this, you can find the Cortana icon on desktop, or else you can also search it directly in the search bar. If this is the first time we use the wizard, it will ask us for a series of permits such as microphone and voice dictation that will help us activate the assistant directly by saying “Hey Cortana” at any time. You will only be able to enjoy this voice function when you enable this permission, and you can deactivate it later in settings if you don't like the idea.
Once we have entered, a search box will appear in which you can ask Cortana for the task or information you want and you can interact with it as if it were any chat application. If you have enabled voice typing, you can request a task by saying Cortana's name, even when the app is not running. Also, you won't have to write what you want either since you can say it by voice into the computer microphone. You can also execute this intelligence using the “Windows + C” command.
With regards to setting, you can access it by entering the application and by selecting the “More” icon. Here you can modify all permissions and topics like data access, access the history of searches and interactions and modify the language among others. You can also manage devices where you can link or unlink Cortana.
Cortana Basic Features and Tasks
Below we will talk about the main functions that this virtual assistant can perform, although as we have mentioned previously, its repertoire is so large that it will be useful to you whatever the task you are performing. When we have already configured this tool, simply by opening Cortana different general and informative widgets will appear, such as the weather forecast or current featured news.
One of its most notable functions is that it has the ability to solve practically any question you ask, except for very specific topics, so if you want to know some information, how to perform a certain task, access any application on your PC and even perform calculation operations, so You will only have to tell this assistant or write it in the chat. Additionally, when we ask Cortana a question that she doesn't know how to answer, she will directly open the default search engine to try to help you solve it.
This virtual assistant is especially useful for managing Windows tasksthat is to say run and manage applications that they are already installed on your computer. That is, you can ask it to open the settings, close the PDF you have open, or schedule an appointment on the calendar. Therefore, using this tool can undoubtedly help you streamline procedures with your computer and make your work much easier.
Tips to get the most out of it
Once we know how to use Cortana to facilitate our tasks and cut time, we can progress to more complex tasks and tricks that few people know but that will surely be very useful to you and you will start using them from the first moment. Without a doubt, these small details that we are going to show you will make the difference in making the most of this service. In addition to these tips, we also have other articles published in our website that may interest you on this topic.
Link Microsoft Phone
One of the outstanding features of this assistant, like Siri on Apple, is that you can enjoy it on other devices from the Microsoft company, such as on all devices such as smartphones y tablets that have this operating system. We will only have to install the Cortana app, configure it as we have mentioned previously and enjoy the assistant on our own mobile.
Set reminders and alarms
To establish yourself as a complete virtual assistant, one of the functions you must include is the administration of our agenda, always under the permissions that we previously grant. Thanks to this, we can ask Cortana to set an alarm at a certain time, or that we remember any pending matter on a specific date and time that we establish. We'll just have to tell her and she'll do it directly.
Cortana's Notebook
Cortana's notebook is part of the configuration of this wizard in which you can edit your preferences and settings to offer you a much more personalized experience. Some of the aspects that you can configure are your interests in different topics or news so that it shows you that type of information when you open the menu, your musical tastes and preferences so that you are the first to find out about the news from your favorite artists, save your search history and browsing records to be able to return to them easily... In short, we advise you to access the notebook settings to make your experience with Cortana much more effective.