“Hey Cortana” voice activation
This per-user registry value controls Cortana activation through the “Hey Cortana” activation phrase.
since 0.9.8.11
Purpose
Show registry keys (1)
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Preferences\VoiceActivationOn
This per-user registry value controls Cortana activation through the “Hey Cortana” activation phrase. A DWORD value of 0 turns this capability off. Cortana therefore no longer starts for that user merely because the phrase is detected.
The setting does not disable the microphone or Windows speech recognition as a whole. It also does not prevent other applications from using their own voice-activation features or accessing the microphone when otherwise permitted.
Notes
Security
Disabling keyword activation prevents Cortana from being invoked accidentally or by another person saying “Hey Cortana.” This value is not a general microphone or privacy policy, however, and does not revoke microphone permissions from applications.
Possible side effects
Hands-free Cortana activation is no longer available. On systems that support Wake-on-Voice for Cortana, the activation phrase can also no longer wake Cortana from an eligible low-power state. Other ways of launching Cortana and other speech features are not inherently disabled by this value.
Notes
This value is a per-user Cortana preference, not a documented Group Policy setting. It must not be treated as equivalent to LetAppsActivateWithVoice, LetAppsActivateWithVoiceAboveLock, or AllowCortanaAboveLock, which use different registry locations, scopes, and value semantics.
Microsoft documents the “Hey Cortana” voice-activation feature but does not publish a current reference that fully specifies the schema of this particular registry value. Its effect is therefore limited to Windows and Cortana versions that recognize this legacy preference. Cortana voice assistance as a standalone Windows app was retired in spring 2023, so the value may have no practical effect on current Windows installations.
Microsoft documentation
Microsoft Learn: Voice Activation
Microsoft Support: End of support for Cortana