Microsoft releases helpful video to get you started with Cortana

By Rich Edmonds
last updated

Microsoft has published a new video on its Windows Phone YouTube channel. This latest video is dedicated to helping consumers get comfortable with Cortana and using commands to obtain different pieces of information. The new virtual assistant is part of the Windows Phone 8.1 update, but is not yet available outside the US (unless you switch up your region and language settings).

There are a number of ways to interact with Cortana, as well as sharing interests and configuring the assistant to provide you with a more personalized experience. We've also covered Cortana in the past fairly extensively, so be sure to search through and find some handy articles to help you out. We'll list a handful below.

Further reading:

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

63 Comments
  • Nice....:)
  • Yes I agree, it's nice. But I wonder why the fps is low. Look ugly. Make the video look bad.
  • The frame rate is low because they use WP emulators
  • I thought it is because my broadband is slow.... Happy to know that it is universal.....:P
  • Release it for other countries first
  • Totally agree
  • Seems slower to me.
  • Still though fairly bit behind it's counterpart, in terms of natural language recognition. Anyway, it is still in beta mode. Lots to come.
  • Cortana worldwide that's all
  • Guess they will be releasing it soon.
  • Zzzzzzz. Would help if we had cyan & 8.1. Never mind Cortana
  • Shame on you MSFT, all of your promo videos about WP look super laggy. Videos should expose even more the un-laggyness of the OS.
  • It's not lag, it's just low FPS Whoever took that video is an idiot
  • Same shit. It looks bad. All the videos made like this loom the same. They shouldn't.
  • MS pissess me off! Whoo tha hell shows such laggy animations to the world. Some idiots will actually think they really lag!
  • The reason they lag is because they use WP emulators and then screen capture the video probably on a pc, I think they should use an actual WP and film someone with it with a high fps camera
  • Yes, or just record the "connect phone to PC" feature like that one that shows the little dot when you tap. That'd be good.
  • Some idiots ACTUALLY think windows phone is slow and unstable
  • They could even use project to screen for this. Im in agreement these videos are not the best. Hope thy haven't laid off the Nokia marketing folks - they do a much better job imho
  • That's what I mean, the project on screen thing.
  • No availability on EU countries, no matter. When will US based company understand that you can't go global and expect high market share if you only make your services available in US? The problem is, the US citizens think the same, that US means global......
  • I agree, I live Microsoft products but get so annoyed with them because they want to be a player outside the U.S. but continue to treat the rest of the world like second class citizens.At least Apple get their products out into the world.
  • Yeah Apple is so much better on that :(
  • There are worse things to be treated as besides what you are.
  • Be nice. Waiting for Windows phone at all in Japan. But I remember clearly the year Japan finally got the iPhone. Took longer than people remember. This is a US citizen who takes issue with that your statement ; )
  • It's nice to know that I think the US means global. It's not like that doesn't make any sense or anything.
  • Even aliens think the same....
  • I know who needs another job: those people who create these tutorial videos. Even after years they aren't able to record the UI smoothly. Can you imagine Apple would release a video showing the killer feature of iOS in such a low quality video?
  • I totally agree.
  • I can do much better videos with my ancient PC...
  • +720
  • I'm still learning voice commands for Xbox one? Was that mute or unmute.. Lol
  • F u Microsoft!!!!
  • Lol
  • No Greek language, no party.
  • beter then tutorial video is release cortana outside US. I mean, why only US ? if i change region and language to get it work, why its that problem cortana activate on all other region ? I dont want another language support etc. i just want use my region a cortana together !
  • I would be so glad to getting started... IF I would live in the only single country on planet earth where this is possible. I suppose MS idiots s(h)itting in Redmond have no clue about geography, that there are more than 1 country on this dirt-ball.
  • You'd think they could show off their own OS on something better than an emulator running at 15fps.
  • Step 1: Move to the USA.
  • Step 2: ??????
  • Step 2: Stop complaining about being second class citizens and enjoy first world problems
  • Enjoy fast food. :D
  • Step 3: Get health insurance.
  • This type of low quality video from Microsoft. Now anybody can understand, why Microsoft lay off their employees.
  • I don't know what will make you guys happy. Go to android and use google now if you don't like WP. The REASON that they haven't released it outside the U.S. yet is because its NOT OPTIMISED for the other countries, meaning language input, localisation, geo fencing etc. So I bet you that you would be even more p*ssed off with Cortana and MS if they HAD released Cortana for other countries because its not fully optimised for other countries yet. As soon as it comes out of beta it will be available for other countries. And yes, I am using Cortana outside of the U.S. through the language switch, and yes it does some tings good but it more often than not doesn't understand my accent. I have to say each word at a time and then its ok. So I don't know about you guys but I'd rather wait for the fully optimised version than MS release a half baked version of it. You wouldn't be happy with Cortana at this stage in beta if it was released for your country
  • It works almost flawlessly in Australia (region set to US) wouldn't be a whole lot to change to get her started over here... Even local traffic works here... Maybe add some Aussie Rules Football support, Celsius weather, Kilometers, and maybe an option for how long it will take to get to work if I rode a kangaroo instead of driving? :P
  • i think just a few are complaining about cortana not understanding because the accent, cortana is better on that.    I AM PISSED OFF WITH THE DATE FORMAT, otherwise i have no other complains. Cortana must not 100% depend on internet, not all Coutries have easy access or free WI-FI and those free data bundles.  
  • How else can it work though? It relies on information which is changing all the tine, eg news, traffic, weather. How else is it supposed to get that information. I'm not getting your point
  • sometimes there are tasks that you what cortana to do which doesn't need internet, searching something local i.e. on the phone.
  • Ok I see your point
  • Here's a helpful hint for using Cortana..... Don't live anywhere other than the US :'(
  • Thats why you can't beat Google, they think outside the Box, ans sometimes not selfish (US Only thing). they try to satisfy their clients be it in China, Africa India e.t.c. complains mainly comes from other OSs trying to use Google services. I wish MS could do the same!!!
  • They are working towards it
  • 8.1 ... Then cyan... Then Cortana with some instructions... Getting a tad ahead of themselves here...
  • They are releasing videos about cortana and we don't even have lumia cyan. I wonder when we'll have cyan and then later cortana in India.
  • First of all release cyan for every phone. Then do this bull shit.
  • All the crying in this thread. smh
  • Release WP 8.1 for other phones than Lumia and than maybe i will care!   
  • IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE ACTUALLY HAD CORTANA GRRRR.
  • Good
  • Thinking ahead of the times..... Now that I learnt how to use Cortana, all I need to do is invite Cortana to magically appear on my phone. 
  • How about releasing Cortina itself?
  • I hope this means Cortana will be released soon