Enable "Hey Cortana" Voice Command on Any Windows Phone

· 3 min read · Windows

Enable “Hey Cortana” Voice Command on Any Windows Phone

Originally posted on: Microsoft Windows Users Community Bangladesh (MUCB)

Requirements:

  1. Interop Tools 1.9 — Download Link
  2. Hey Cortana Registry File — Download Link

Caution:

  • This is a community-developed tweak and is not officially supported by Microsoft. Use it at your own risk.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Uninstall any previous version of Interop Tools you may have installed, then install Interop Tools 1.9.
  2. Open Interop Tools after installation.
  3. Navigate to This Device.
  4. Press the Windows button to minimize Interop Tools and exit to the Start screen.
  5. Open the downloaded heycortana.itreg file from File Explorer.
  6. Interop Tools will open automatically and prompt you to import the registry entries — tap the Import button.

Method 2: Manual Registry Configuration

If you prefer to do it manually, navigate to the following registry path and set the values as specified:

Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\AudioPolicy

Registry Type: Integer

Values to set: | Value Name | Data | |—|—| | Duplex | 2 | | HardwareVoiceActivationInSKU | 0 | | SoftwareSpeakerIDInSKU | 1 | | SoftwareVoiceActivationInSKU | 1 | | VoiceActivationAlwaysUseHWKWS | 1 | | VoiceActivationEnableWoV | 1 |

Activating Hey Cortana

  1. Open Cortana and go to its Settings.
  2. Turn on the Hey Cortana option.
  3. Say “Hey Cortana” aloud. Your phone should respond and start listening for your voice commands.
  4. If it doesn’t work on the first try, manually tap the microphone button and give a voice command. Try saying “Hey Cortana” again afterward — it should start responding automatically from then on.

Notes

  • The Hey Cortana feature was previously exclusive to high-end Lumia devices such as the Lumia 950. After applying this tweak, it will be available on any Windows Phone device.
  • Battery warning: It is recommended to keep this feature disabled when not needed, as it consumes a significant amount of battery power due to continuous voice listening.
  • Screenshots are available in the first comment of the original post.
Tags: windows windows-phone cortana registry trick

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