You can't turn off Cortana in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Microsoft made an interesting decision with Windows 10’s Anniversary Update, which is now in its final stages of development before it rolls out on August 2.


Cortana, the personal digital assistant that replaced Windows 10’s search function and taps into Bing’s servers to answer your queries with contextual awareness, no longer has an off switch.

...but you can lessen her awareness.

You can't turn off Cortana in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update | PCWorld

Not sure I ever saw a turn off switch
I had to block usage in group policy and web search....

Sort of funny setting there
Do not respond when saying hey cortana wtf

Related reading material: Cortana - Enable or Disable in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

I have the same problem with SWMBO!

I have the latest preview version and for several versions I haven't been able to turn off Cortana (or at least find where to do it). I have a desktop and no mic (for the PC audio) so I don't need Cortana.

If they remove the group policy options I will not be happy :)
Just the changes to the start menu will not make me very happy it sounds like the options to have Downloads/ Picture.... will be removed all for room for the silly all apps listings

You may still be able to effectively turn off Cortana using OPTION THREE below. :)

Cortana - Turn On or Off in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

I believe Micro... is just trying to wear us down with all of this limited settings stuff
I'd restrict usage of 10 before assimilating

Time will tell good thing I have the ultimate choice of using win-10 or not
At this point I already barely use 10 take away what few things I did already adjust to a half way acceptable level and it would be too easy to never use it.

I'm not going through classic shell/ start10..... stuff.

ThrashZone said:

I believe Micro... is just trying to wear us down with all of this limited settings stuff

Agreed.

This is just like the W8 Start Screen debacle.
Soon MS will trot out someone and they'll claim that most users are too stupid to be able to type a search query into a text box.

It seems like a large number settings have been designed using malware design techniques.

Just like the way the Privacy Settings all reset to "share everything with everyone" after a unblockable update.
The irony is that a lot of XP's issues were related to the default "share everything with everyone" security settings.

I've also noticed that during install/reset W10 only shows you ~6 Privacy switches out of ~40.
This is obviously designed to trick users into thinking that they have blocked everything.

The non-existent "Create Local Account" button is another example.

Well............ as a satisfied 10 user this kinda.......... bothers me. I have never used Cortana for search and do not even like the "Idea" of Cortana. I do not want to talk to a machine! Talking is for people period imho, and I have a hard enough time doing that with any expertise. Hell, everyone knows what I do for a living (just look at my username) and I don't now or ever will use those navigation thingee's. (Garmin etc. much less one on a smartphone which I don't own either btw) The spoken word is for communicating with other humans. Coding is the way to talk to a machine.