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Microsoft to Remove Cortana From Windows 10 Search Bar

Cortana isn't going far: Microsoft will move it just to the right of the Search bar. For now, this is only available via the Windows 10 preview build, released today for Windows Insiders.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Heads up, Windows 10 users: Search and Cortana are breaking up.

The latest Windows 10 preview build, released today for Windows Insiders in the Fast ring, moves Microsoft's digital assistant out of the Search bar, where it currently resides.

"Going forward, we'll be decoupling Search and Cortana in the taskbar," Microsoft's Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc wrote in a blog post. "This will enable each experience to innovate independently to best serve their target audiences and use cases."

Cortana isn't going far: Microsoft has moved it just to the right of the Search bar, as you can see in the image above.

"When it rolls out to you, you'll find clicking the search box in the taskbar now launches our experience focused on giving you the best in-house search experience and clicking the Cortana icon will launch you straight into our voice-first digital assistant experience," Sarkar and LeBlanc explained.

Besides that, preview build 18317 improves Start reliability and launch time, offers a new font management experience in Settings (you can now simply drag and drop font files from File Explorer into the Settings > Fonts page to install them), and a simpler Windows Insider Program Settings page (to check it out, visit Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program). The pared-down Windows Insider Programs Settings page offers all the same functionality, but should make it easier to sign up for the program and set up your PC to take new builds.

There's also a long list of Windows Console updates and "general changes, improvements, and fixes."

Before grabbing this build, keep in mind that it's still early in the development cycle and may contain "painful" bugs, Microsoft warns. Slow ring builds are less buggy.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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