Voice assistant Cortana. When will the Russian Cortana be released? Where is Cortana located in Windows 10

Windows operating systems are not new. This approach was first used in the eighth version of the OS, more precisely in 8.1. The tool is quite interesting for the user, especially considering that using Cortana you can search for files, receive hints about performing certain actions, or change settings. However, not everyone knows how to enable Cortana on Windows 10. But that's not even the main thing. The question is whether the assistant can speak Russian.

How to enable Cortana in Russian, and is it possible to do this?

The virtual assistant was included in the main Windows toolkit of the tenth version. True, many users who tried to activate it in the territory of the former Soviet Union received (and are receiving) errors. Why is that?

Yes, only because this tool still does not have Russian language support for desktop or mobile Windows systems. In addition, any attempt to install Cortana in outdated OS will not be successful. The developers from Microsoft swore that a full-fledged Russian-language version would be available by the fall of 2016, but there is still no information about the release date of this software product.

Users of the USA, Japan, China, Australia and some European countries were incredibly lucky, who received the assistant, so to speak, “hot”. Unsurprisingly, support is limited to only six languages:

• English;
• German;
• Italian;
• Spanish;
• French;
• Chinese.

Thus, solving the problem of how to enable Cortana on Windows 10 comes down to choosing the foreign language that is closer and more understandable to the user. But this is far from the main thing.

How to enable Cortana on Windows 10: basic conditions

Everything would be fine, but an attempt to activate the same English version does not lead to anything, although the user is firmly convinced that he wants to use English or

Again, the problem is that the default operating system interface in our regions uses Russian, so the English-speaking assistant does not understand the system settings. The conclusion suggests itself: in order for Cortana to speak, you need to change the system language. Only in this case will it begin to provide answers to queries or recommendations, despite the fact that in theory it should recognize the question without it.

Installing the system language and voice packages

Now directly about how to enable Cortana. The first step is to change the system language settings. If you speak, for example, English and will continue to communicate with the assistant in it, you should not have problems with the OS settings.

So, in the question of how to enable Cortana, first we use the options menu, in which we go to the time and languages ​​​​section, in which we turn to the region and language item, select English and set it as the default one.

Next, for the assistant to work fully, you must additionally download the appropriate language pack. The problem of how to enable Cortana cannot be solved without this, since initially there are no such packages in the system. To do this, in the window for changing the system language, go to the parameters (the button to the right) and load the speech file. Once the download is complete, you can proceed to further settings.

Voice recognition

In order for the assistant to understand you, you need to enable voice recognition. This operation is performed in the previous window and is performed to confirm the priority of the selected language.

For more correct operation of the assistant, it is advisable to use accent recognition. This is done for those cases when you do not have perfect pronunciation or use a specific dialect. After completing all settings, it is highly recommended to perform a full system reboot.

Activation settings

Now, in the question of how to enable Cortana, you need to activate the assistant. This option is available from the Search menu, where you press the button with the image of a gear and activate the “Cortana can give you...” item.

This is a mode for hints, ideas, reminders, etc. After this, you can start communicating in the chosen language.

In principle, many users advise using an equally effective activation method, which consists of using the “Hey, Cortana” command, which can be enabled through a search, going to settings and activating the “Let’s Cortana respond...” item.

Enabling the assistant on mobile devices

If we talk about how to enable Cortana on a phone with Windows Phone on board, the actions are practically no different from those performed on desktop systems.

First, the system language is changed (“Notification Center” / “All Settings”), then the US region of residence is selected, then the smartphone restarts, and after that Cortana appears in the list of applications, which you can use. If you return to the Russian interface, the assistant will automatically turn off.

Finally

As you can already understand, activation of Cortana is possible only if you change the system language and region of residence. It is difficult to say when the Russian-language version will appear, since Microsoft officials themselves remain silent on this issue. There is information that the Russian-language version is being finalized, but nothing is known about the timing of its release. On the other hand, the developers can be understood, because in that short period from the moment the idea itself was introduced, it was difficult to make the assistant, so to speak, a polyglot who would speak most of the most common languages. So, we have to wait.

On Windows 10 integrated voice assistant Cortana. She was named after the heroine of the computer game Halo. With its help, the user can find out information using voice or entering a request from the keyboard.

Experts call this innovation the best in the new desktop version (on mobile devices with Windows Phone, the assistant works starting from 8.1). Main disadvantage for Russian-speaking users, of course, it can be called lack of Russian support language with this assistant. It’s a pity, this would undoubtedly increase the number of admirers of the dozen in Russia. However, work in this direction is underway and perhaps in the near future, Cortana will finally speak Russian. In the meantime, you can use it to practice pronouncing English words.

Cortana features

Cortana's main task is divination the needs of the user, who, if he wishes, can provide her with access to all his personal data, from his email account, browser search history to confidential data. Based on this data, the assistant will be able to answer most of your search queries.

Cortana uses Bing search engine, there she will look for information or give you a link to it.

This virtual assistant has a sense of humor and will be able to carry on a conversation with you, answering questions. It will remind you of significant dates, such as the birthday of relatives, friends, when there will be an important meeting and much more. In fact, at the moment on PC it is used more for entertainment. It is more useful on mobile devices, where data entry can sometimes be difficult and answering a question asked by voice can help out in some situations. The assistant was created by developers to solve everyday problems and to simplify data search on the Internet.

In which countries does voice search work?

The assistant does not yet speak Russian, but her skills are not limited to English either. The following is an up-to-date table with the languages ​​and regions for which Cortana is currently available.

How to enable Cortana on Windows 10 in Russia

To turn on the assistant you will have to change the language And location default to English And USA respectively. And she will speak to you in English with an American accent.

Let's go to Options buttons Start.

Finding the section Time and language, and then Region and language.

In the drop-down list we look for USA, and the language English set as default.

You will also need to run the section Watch, language and region in Control panels.

Location should also indicate USA.

Then restart computer. After which the loaded system will be with interface completely on English language.

You will need to go to Settings(settings) to activate Cortana.

How to enable Cortana on Windows mobile

If you have smartphone with Windows Phone Mobile 8.1 or 10, you can easily enable Cortana. Just like on a computer, you will need to edit the options regarding Language And Region.

First of all, change the Language to English. Then overloaded by clicking the corresponding button or in the standard way.

After launch, go to the section “ Region" We indicate.

Finding the application Cortana on the list and use it.

As you can see, the most difficult thing here is to restart your smartphone a couple of times.

How to disable Cortana

You can disable the assistant in the settings.

However, Cortana will remain in the system as part of it. If you absolutely do not need it, or simply for some reason you wanted to get rid of it, then two options for how to do this will be described below.

Using group policies

Let's launch editor local group policies. The easiest way to do this is through the window Execute(Win+R), enter a word gpedit.msc.

In the guide we follow the path Computer configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows components – Find.

In the right window we find the field Allow Cortana(Allow use). Disable it ( Disabled), confirm OK and the assistant will no longer bother you.

Using the registry

The second option to do this is to use registry editor. In the same window, enter regedit– you will be taken to the editor window.

Follow the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

Parameter value AllowCortana put zero and the assistant function will be disabled.

For inclusion you will need to carry out the steps in reverse order.

Experts say that one of the best ideas of Windows 10 developers was to add Cortana voice assistant to the system. Such assistants have been used by mobile phone owners for a long time, but the addition of such a service to a computer happened for the first time in Windows 10. Cortana so far communicates only in English, Chinese and several other languages, which, unfortunately, does not include Russian. Interestingly, by default, even the English-language Cortana is not available to residents of Russia and other CIS countries, but this can be fixed by changing some operating system settings.

What Cortana can do

So, Cortana is a virtual voice assistant that will help you easily take notes, add reminders for you, find out train or other transport schedules and provide the information you need, it can also carry on a conversation with you, tell jokes, sing songs and much more. .

It was first introduced to the world in 2014, and since then has been used first on Windows Mobile 8.1, and has now become a hallmark of Windows 10.

In Windows 10, it replaces the standard search engine and can search for information both on the Internet and on your hard drive. Using voice control, Cortana, in addition to searching for information, can launch programs, perform operations on files, and even change system settings.

Where does Cortana work?

Unfortunately, today not everyone can use this program as a personal assistant. So far she has learned to understand and speak only six languages:

• English;
• German;
• Chinese;
• Italian;
• Spanish;
• French.

Accordingly, it only works in those countries where one of these languages ​​is used as the main one. Over time, the developers promise that this voice assistant will become available in all countries. But, if you don't want to wait, let's figure out how to enable Cortana on Windows 10 in other regions.

How to enable Cortana on Windows 10 in Russia

The assistant itself and its settings are located in the search field located next to the Start menu button. But in our region we will only see a message stating that Cortana is not available to us.

This happens because the Windows interface language does not match the one that this program supports.

So, follow these steps to enable an assistant that can communicate with you in English:

Once you complete the steps, feel free to use Cortana as it is free to use.

Users often complain about the poor performance of the program, arguing that it does not always follow their instructions. And the point here is not that the assistant is not working correctly, but that the program was configured for English-speaking users, and therefore understands their speech perfectly, but may not understand your English accent well. For this reason, similar problems arise.

In the video you can clearly see how to enable the Cortana voice assistant on your computer.

Enable Cortana on your phone

Just like on computers, Cortana on phones supports the same six languages ​​as on desktops. But these restrictions do not reduce interest in it in Russian-speaking and other countries. But is it possible to connect Cortana to Windows 10 Mobile if you live in Russia? Yes, to do this it will be enough to change the following settings:

• region of residence (USA);
• interface language (English);
• turn off the geolocation service (for a while until the phone is rebooted).

After the reboot, you will be able to use Cortana as a personal voice assistant.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that after following the steps to enable Cortana, it will only work in one of the supported languages. If you don't know one of these languages ​​well or your pronunciation leaves much to be desired, you may be better off abandoning the idea of ​​using Cortana as a personal assistant.

Some experts claim that Microsoft will soon release a Russian-language version of this program, arguing that there is already a Russian-language data package in the Windows 10 settings in the additional features section.

Others give them the example of Kinect, which several years later did not find the Russian language in its knowledge base, or Siri, which learned to speak Russian only five years after the launch of the English version. We can only follow the news from Microsoft.

Will Cortana appear in Russian inWindows 10? This is a burning question, relevant for users of Lumia and the desktop version of Windows 10. Evaluate the functions of the new voice assistant, which supposedly should outshine the iPhone Siri, and android Google Now! if not all, then certainly most of the users of these devices and platforms want it. True, some of them have already come to terms with the lack of support for the Russian language, and some have launched an English version and communicate with Cortana in American dialects.

It's safe to say that Russian-speaking Cortana users of the CIS countries will still see it on Windows 10, because the first steps in this direction are already being taken in Redmond. So, in particular, in countries where Cortana is already available, they have taught it to be translated into Russian. In addition, the translator built into Cortana also learns 38 more world languages, but is still far from fluent in them. Compared to the undisputed leader in automatic translation - Google Translator - Cortana with integrated access to the Bing translator is still in the dust.

Near term

It seems that although Microsoft plans to release Cortana in Russian on Lumia and Windows 10 smartphones, it is in no hurry to implement these grandiose plans. So far, the corporation is experimenting with the voice assistant in countries where it is already available for Windows, and is striving to make it cross-platform. So, there are already versions of Cortana for Android and MacOS. Whether it will be released on iPhone screens is still unknown.

Stumbling blocks

Redmond explains that such a long preparation for the release of Cortana in each country is due to the fact that it is taught a lot. In particular, even in different English-speaking countries, the assistant will behave differently. He will formulate his answers to the user's questions taking into account the local dialect, humor and culture. For example, in both the States and Canada, Cortana so far only speaks in English(The French version for Canadians is just getting ready for release). But, nevertheless, for Americans, Cortana is a fan of baseball players and American football teams, and the Canadian Cortana is an avid hockey fan. And these are not all regional features.

Cortana release date in Russian

This information has not yet been disseminated by any source, including the American IT corporation itself. They keep it a secret almost more carefully than the Coca-Cola recipe. Apparently, the time has not come yet. Or it may be that work on the project has not even begun yet. Until recently, the Russian-speaking Internet audience was actively discussing the possibility of Cortana being released for Russians this year, but all the information was disseminated at the level of unconfirmed rumors.

One of the new features that immediately catch your eye after loading the Windows 10 operating system is the search bar, which is now located next to the “Start” button. But now it's not just limited to text search. As soon as you click on the line, you will be greeted by a new product from Microsoft called Cortana, which also works using voice commands.

Cortana is a voice assistant program with quite a wide range of functionality. This is not just a search tool - the application was conceived by the developers as an indispensable assistant in solving various everyday tasks in the Windows 10 operating system. With its help, you can easily make any note or reminder in the calendar, find out the schedule of the desired transport. Cortana can make it easier to find various files and programs by voice reminders of their location. At the same time, she can simply chat with the user and even joke with him or sing something.

The world first learned about this virtual assistant in 2014, when it began to be used in the Windows Mobile 8.1 operating system, and is already working as part of Windows 10. According to a number of experts, it was very reasonable for the developers of Windows 10 to introduce voice into it. Cortana assistant program, because it actually replaces the standard search system and can search for files and programs not only within the hard drive, but also on the Internet. Similar applications are already used on numerous mobile devices, and the first computer operating system to integrate Cortana was Windows 10. The program is capable of communicating in English, German, Italian and four other languages. However, you will not be able to work in Russian; support for it, alas, is not yet provided.

How to connect it

The Cortana program itself in Windows 10 is located next to the Start menu. If Russian is set as the main language, a message will appear stating that it is not possible to launch the program in our region - it does not work in Russian. Accordingly, you will have to set English or any of the supported languages ​​as the main language. What you need to do for this:

• Go to the Start menu and select Settings;

• Select the “Time and Language” section, and then “Region and Language”;

• When you open the list of available regions, select United States and select English as your language. Once you do this, the system will prompt you to download the language pack;
• Go to the language recognition item and set the language to English;

• Restart your computer and the changes will take effect.

That's it, now you can safely use the program on Windows 10. This virtual assistant works absolutely free. It is worth noting that users periodically receive complaints that the program does not accurately follow their instructions. The thing is that Cortana is tailored for an English-speaking user, and therefore may simply not understand (or misunderstand) your accent. If you only speak Russian well, but are not familiar with any of the six supported languages, or you know the languages ​​satisfactorily, but your pronunciation is lame, then the most rational option would be to refuse to use Cortana with the Russian interface of the operating system (which will have to be changed anyway).

How to work with her

In order to start working with the program in Windows 10, you need to enter any question into the program line. Or you can ask her a voice question using the microphone. Among the standard questions and requests that the program will definitely answer are:

• Ask how old she is;
• Ask to tell a joke;
• Ask to make a note on the calendar for any day or make changes to one already made earlier;
• Find out how many calories are in a boiling egg (in case someone needs it);
• Ask about the weather or news.

There are four menu items on the program interface: home page, notebook, reminders, feedback. A fairly useful feature that Cortana can provide is reminders. For example, you can ask her to remind someone to call or go somewhere. In addition, if you have a mobile version of Windows and use it under the same account as Windows 10, then reminders from your computer will automatically reach your phone, which is very convenient.

What else is important to know?

If you intend to use the Cortana service, you must sign a digital agreement with Microsoft. But there is one significant point - as soon as you agree to the presented conditions, Microsoft will receive the following data about you:

• Your location;
• Contact Information;
• Search history.

If you previously configured privacy settings in Windows 10, then accepting the above agreement automatically cancels them. This state of affairs may scare some users away. If you intend to use the program, but do not want too much to be learned about you, then you can still “moderate the curiosity” of your assistant. To do this, you will need to go to the Notebook section, select the Settings section and disable the top slider. Then the Cortana program will be available to you as a regular text search.

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