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Microsoft’s Cortana is a Cloud-based personal assistant that works outside the standard voice-enabled AI domain. It does not just understand voice commands and carry out tasks but is combined for use across Microsoft’s 365 suite of products and Windows 10 operating system versions 2004 and later.

If you and your team depend on Microsoft 365, then here is everything you need to know about using Cortana to improve your productivity.

What is Cortana?

Cortana was first launched in 2004. This virtual assistant’s name and concept were inspired by a 26-century artificial intelligence character of the same name from the most popular “Halo” video game series. It is designed to combine with the Windows Phone. In 2015 Windows 10 PCs Cortana capabilities already included organizing and handling your daily meetings, reminders, and more besides traditional web searches and all through typed text or voice precise.

Everything you changed to Cortana for was then all stored in a virtual Notebook that is an approach to the virtual assistant based on the work of actual human assistants who spoke to Microsoft during Cortana’s development process to a 2014 Verge report.

From there, Cortana’s presence grew up as Microsoft combined it everywhere from Xbox and intelligent speaker to Apple and Android app and third party skills for such as Spotify, Fitbit, and many more, but since it launched Microsoft’s users’ needs have changed and the company’s vision for its digital assistant has developed along with it.

What can Cortana Do?

These days, Cortana focuses on another space than other voice-enabled AI assistants. Cortana firstly connects with the Microsoft 365 users to every element of their product suites, and then it helps you track, organize, and manage your daily work.

Cortana is still available on Windows 10 and client applications like Outlook for iOS and Android. Now users can go hands and worry-free when it comes to handling their personal and professional work. Cortana is included with Microsoft 365 price plan. You can use Cortana with Windows 10 OS, the Edge browser, and Bing search engine and apps such as Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Cortana also included email and calendar services Outlook and Exchange and file services like OneDrive and Forms, and finally, social and meeting products like Teams and Yammer.

When Cortana is enabled, and you are using the assistant’s waking phrase followed by a command prompt can open apps and fetch the news and weather, add to your lists in Microsoft To-Do, schedule calendar events reminder, locate a file in One Drive, and many more. Still, Cortana can go one step further with personalized and interactive tools such as Briefing Emails and Play My Emails and both designs to ensure that you are at your most productive every day.

  • Briefing Emails: You can set up briefing emails through Outlook, and these briefs are sent within two hours of your workday, by which you can stay on top of the day ahead of you. Expect notes about outstanding commitments, requests, and follow-ups that you may have forgotten and documents relevant to the day’s meetings so that you can review them before you attend, and recommend focus times to help you get the most out of your unscheduled hours.
  • Play My Emails: When you need to go hands-free, then this Outlook Cortana feature reads out your emails, so you do not have to slow down to keep up. You can use it in a better way with Bluetooth-enabled wireless or wired audio devices such as headphones or your car audio, and you can use simple voice commands for a touch-free inbox search and response experience.

How does Cortana Works?

You are using Cortana regardless of the device, programs, and services; the Microsoft voice assistant helps users immediately get information by using type and spoken queries that connect you with other peoples you work with, and your plan stricter focus on helping you with Microsoft products. Cortana can work similarly as an actual assistant than ever before.

When you are signing in into your Microsoft account and with the app or services you are using to open, then you have to say “Cortana” or “Hey Cortana.” After that, Cortana respond to your request and queries before completing practical tasks. At the same time, it is collecting specific data about you as like your searches, calendar, contacts, and location, to help make the future experience with Cortana more personalized.

How to Enable Cortana on your PC?

When you want to get the benefits of Cortana AI power on a PC, then you may need to enable the features.

  • It would be best if you tapped the circle icon next to the search bar at the bottom of your computer screen and then sign in to your Microsoft account.
  • When you are signed in, and then select the circle again to bring up Cortana’s menu when it does not automatically appear.
  • Now you must click the three-dot icon in the top left and then select Settings from the drop-down.
  • Now you can choose “Voice Activation” from the options lists.
  • Now click the “Voice activation privacy setting” link.
  • Now under the “Choose which apps can use voice activation” section and then toggle on “Let Cortana respond to “Cortana” keyboard and when enabled then you can also choose to let Cortana work on voice command when your device is locked.
  • At last, you can go back to the Cortana window and say “Hey Cortana” and wait for the virtual assistant to activate, and you can also type your command into the dialogue box next to the microphone icon.

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Source: Cortana: A Guide To Microsoft’s Virtual Assistant

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