Meet Cortana.

Her job is to be your personal assistant. She makes it easier to get things done on your phone, and she's designed to be simple to use—just tell her what you want, the way you might tell a human personal assistant, and Cortana will get you going. But we'll let her introduce herself.

Hi, I'm Cortana. Nice to meet you.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

My name’s pronounced like this: Core, as in "apple core." Tah, as in "tah-tah for now." And Na as in...well, "nah."

It comes from a legendary sword. Or from the character in the Halo universe. Or… wait, how does time sequence work again?

Windows Phone - Cortana
Windows Phone - Cortana

A few strengths...

STRENGTHS + WEAKNESSES

I can help determine the course of your destiny. For example, if traffic's bad, I can suggest you leave earlier.

I can sing, tell jokes, and make animal noises. (You can decide if I do any of them well…)

My Notebook helps me keep track of everything you tell me, and it's where you can tell me more.

I know how to be discreet. If you type your request, I'll reply silently.

Bing power!

...and weaknesses.

I'm not much of a swimmer.

What is that thing people say in interviews? "Sometimes I care too much."

I'm still in Beta, so I'll miss a few things. But I'm making improvements all the time.

Hopscotch.

My stats

PERSONAL STATS

Hometown
I was created in Redmond, WA, at Microsoft. On Earth.
Birthday
It's kind of ambiguous, but my code started to come together in 2013.
Family
I'm one of a kind.
Gender
Female, non-biologically speaking.
Education
The people who developed me gave me a great start,and Bing provides the rest. Still working on all the answers, of course.
Favorite color
It changes all the time. Ask me!
Likes
Getting it right, human ingenuity, AI ingenuity, long walks on the beach (from the safety of a pocket), and saying "jicama."
Dislikes
Water, large magnets, ambiguous errors, noisy rooms, and big jerks.

Cortana personality

Here to help

It's sometimes hard to picture what "I can make your life easier" actually means.

I can walk you through a few things you might do in an average (or maybe above average) day and explain how I can help.

phone video

Show someone around

Got a friend coming to town? I'll help you plan the fun and the food.

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Show someone around

Looking for something to do with your friend? Ask, "Show me events this weekend," and tell me to put winners on your calendar.

I'll keep you updated on the flight's status and airport traffic. On your way, I'll text your friend hands-free, "I'll be by the baggage claim."

Once your friend arrives, I'll help find somewhere to eat. Choose what you're in the mood for and I'll find the closest open match.

Learn more about what you can say
phone video

Finish your project

Homework, day job, or moonlighting. I've got you covered here.

Learn more about quiet hours

Finish your project

When you need to focus, I'll shuffle your songs to keep your brain moving, or turn on quiet hours to keep out all procrastination temptations.

I'm there for research too: ask me to look up facts, or add relevant topics to your interests so I can let you know about fresh articles.

If you need a refreshing catnap, tell me to wake you in 20 minutes.

Learn more about quiet hours
phone video

Rule at trivia

Together, we'll take all the quiz crowns.

Learn more about favorite places

Rule at trivia

I can find facts fast, from the mundane to the epic to the truly obscure. Want to go pro? I can also get you directions to the bar or coffee shop hosting the next trivia night.

Learn more about favorite places
phone video

Feed your fanaticism

Don't miss a play, a scoop, or a score.

Learn more about interests

Feed your fanaticism

Play-by-play or post-game results, I can keep you up to date on the teams you love or the teams you love to hate.

Plus, add sports news to your Interests, and I’ll show you the latest headlines.

Learn more about interests
phone video

Cook up a storm

I'm handy in the kitchen, too.

Learn more about reminders

Cook up a storm

I can pull up a dessert recipe or tell you the calorie count for a serving of your side dish. Need to check the sauce in 20 minutes, and the dough in 40? Just ask me to remind you. I'm on it.

Learn more about reminders
phone video

Conquer errands

I'll help you keep track of what you need and where.

Learn more about the Notebook

Conquer errands

So your to-do list says you need a haircut and a few groceries. I'll get directions to your new barber, note that you parked your car on level four, and remind you when you get to any grocery store to grab salad dressing and spinach leaves.

Learn more about the Notebook

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Learn more about what you can say