Microsoft Cortana
Don’t want to install Microsoft Cortana? Drop the file here.
The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free: a recording up to 20 minutes transcribes in full, a longer one is previewed, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export, and credits never expire.
Microsoft's voice assistant — consumer surfaces deprecated; remnants live on in Teams.
Best for reference only — Microsoft now points Windows users to Copilot for voice and chat. Pricing: Deprecated · use Copilot instead.
What it is
Cortana shipped with Windows 10 in 2015. Microsoft retired the consumer assistant and folded the underlying speech stack into Copilot Voice and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Watch out for: Standalone Cortana app retired August 2023; mobile apps shut down June 2021; Teams retains some Cortana voice commands but the brand is winding down.
Install / use
Cortana app removed from Windows 11 in 2023 · Teams retains voice features
What people actually do with Microsoft Cortana-style transcription
The tool is the means. These are the jobs — each one priced at published rates, each one wired up on its own page.
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 8 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Microsoft Cortana vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Microsoft Cortana | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Desktop apps | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | Deprecated · use Copilot instead | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | — | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | — | Yes |
| Streaming | — | No |
| Languages | 8 | 99 |
| Platforms | Windows | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Microsoft Cortana
Frequently asked about Microsoft Cortana
Does Microsoft Cortana work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Microsoft Cortana runs on Windows. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Windows.
How do I get started with Microsoft Cortana?
There is nothing to install — Microsoft Cortana is used in the browser. Create an account on the vendor's site and upload or connect your audio.
How many languages does Microsoft Cortana support?
Microsoft Cortana lists 8 languages.
Does Microsoft Cortana identify different speakers?
No. Microsoft Cortana does not label speakers; a conversation comes back as one continuous text. If you need speaker labels, that is a separate tool or a different service.
Does Microsoft Cortana give word-level timestamps?
No — Microsoft Cortana produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can Microsoft Cortana transcribe live audio?
No — Microsoft Cortana works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Microsoft Cortana HIPAA compliant?
Microsoft Cortana does not claim HIPAA compliance. For PHI, run it on infrastructure you control or choose a service that will sign a BAA.
What are the limitations of Microsoft Cortana?
Standalone Cortana app retired August 2023; mobile apps shut down June 2021; Teams retains some Cortana voice commands but the brand is winding down.
Who is Microsoft Cortana best for?
Reference only — Microsoft now points Windows users to Copilot for voice and chat.
Does Microsoft Cortana run offline?
Microsoft Cortana runs on your own machine as a desktop app. Check whether the model runs locally or calls a cloud service — some desktop tools do both.
Can I use Microsoft Cortana in the browser?
No — Microsoft Cortana is a Windows application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
What kind of tool is Microsoft Cortana?
In this directory Microsoft Cortana is filed under voice assistant, deprecated as a desktop app.
What are the alternatives to Microsoft Cortana?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/microsoft-cortana-alternatives comparing Microsoft Cortana with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Can I automate Microsoft Cortana-style transcription without running it myself?
Yes. If what you want is transcripts rather than the tool itself, Whipscribe does the same job as a hosted API: submit a file or URL, poll a job id, pull the result as txt, json, srt, vtt or docx. $0.012 a minute — about $0.72 an audio hour — bought as credits that never expire. The automation recipes on this site show it wired to Drive folders, Zoom recordings, S3 buckets and no-code platforms.
How is Whipscribe different from Microsoft Cortana?
Microsoft Cortana is something you run; Whipscribe is something you call. Recordings are transcribed on our own servers and never used for training, and every job returns five formats plus an AI summary, quotes and topics. The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export.
Whipscribe is a hosted transcription service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.
Transcribe your recordings
Using Microsoft Cortana today? Send your next recording here and compare the transcript. Transcribe any language, any recording · Transcription services from $0.29 an hour · Transcribe from any meeting or recording platform · How to transcribe, step by step
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Long recording to get through?
One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see MP3 to text for long recordings, a podcast episode as text from its link and an SRT subtitle file from any recording.
Rather have it done for you?
Free tools cost setup time. When you want a finished transcript instead: see the best transcription services side by side, affordable transcription priced per hour and how our transcription services work.