---
title: "Disabling Cortana: the AllowCortana policy and what it does and does not remove"
description: "The AllowCortana policy and the Search values the switch writes, what actually stops running when you turn Cortana off, and why it matters less than it used to."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-cortana
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-08-30
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Windows"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# Disabling Cortana: the AllowCortana policy and what it does and does not remove

**Short answer:** Setting AllowCortana to 0 under SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search disables Cortana's background hooks. On current Windows 11 builds Cortana is already far less integrated than it was, so the gain is smaller than older guides imply. This is a small cleanup rather than a meaningful performance tweak.

## In the app

- Switch: Disable Cortana (Windows, Free, Standard)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1002

## What it does

Cortana historically ran background processes hooked into Windows Search and the Start menu. On current builds much of that has already been unbundled by Microsoft.

The Bing search value is arguably the more useful half: it stops local Start menu searches being sent to the internet.

## When it helps

- Removes remaining background hooks and a small amount of disk and CPU activity.
- Stops Start menu searches leaving your machine, which is a privacy gain and makes the Start menu feel faster offline.

## When it hurts

- Voice features and any Cortana-dependent workflow stop working.
- Web results in the Start menu disappear. Most people consider that a benefit.
- The performance effect on Windows 11 is genuinely small. Older guides overstate it.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search` | `AllowCortana` | `0` | Not set (the value is deleted; Windows decides) | Policy disabling Cortana integration in Windows Search. |
| `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search` | `BingSearchEnabled` | `0` | 1 | Stops the Start menu sending your local searches to Bing. |
| `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search` | `CortanaConsent` | `0` | Not set (the value is deleted; Windows decides) | Withdraws the older per-user Cortana consent. |
| `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search` | `DisableSearchBoxSuggestions` | `1` | 0 | Meant to turn off the suggestions in the search box. The switch writes it together with the values above. |

Source: Tweaks/disable_cortana.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortana" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "BingSearchEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "CortanaConsent" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "DisableSearchBoxSuggestions" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortana" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "BingSearchEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "CortanaConsent" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v "DisableSearchBoxSuggestions" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" /v "AllowCortana"
```

## How to undo it

Delete AllowCortana and set BingSearchEnabled back to 1. Switching it off in Frozen Tweaks does both and resets the other Search values it changed.

## Verdict

Low risk and mildly useful, mostly for the Bing search half. Do not expect frames from it.

## Related guides

- [Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/windows-11-gaming-optimization)
- [Low-End PC Gaming Optimization: Getting Playable Frame Rates](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/low-end-pc-gaming-optimization)

## More tweak explainers

- [Windows visual effects](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/reduce-visual-effects)
- [Windows Update: notify only](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/windows-update-notify-only)
- [Automatic Maintenance](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-automatic-maintenance)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-cortana