Instructions on how to Connect Alexa and Cortana, use them together

You use both Alexa and Cortana as voice assistants, but since different companies manufacture them, the two have not been able to talk to each other until now.

In a new spirit of partnership between Amazon and Microsoft, two of your friendly neighborhood voice assistants are now talking terms. That means you can ask Alexa to summon Cortana and Cortana to summon Alexa. You can then access certain information and perform certain tasks through whatever computer or device you are using.

Why use Alexa to access Cortana? You might be near Echo, but not your Windows 10 computer, and need to retrieve the information you normally get from Cortana. Similarly, you might be at your Windows 10 computer but not near your Echo device and need the information you normally get from Alexa.

“For example, an Office 365 customer can ask Cortana to summon Alexa through her PC at work and use Alexa to order groceries or adjust the thermostat before going home for the day.” Microsoft said to know in the blog post announcing the integration someone making breakfast in the kitchen can enlist Cortana through an Echo device to preview their daily calendar, add an item to their to-do list, or check for the new email before heading to the office.”

The Alexa skill is now available in the US on Windows 10 devices and Invan Kardon Invoke speakers. Cortana is accessible on core Amazon Echo devices, including the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Show, and Echo Spot. Still, Amazon says it’s working with Microsoft to bring the experience to more customers and devices worse over time. The original team is courtesy of a public preview, so it’s not fully baked yet and can be awkward to use. Still, it’s a promising start and worth a try; much more to come.

“This is just the beginning for Alexa and Cortana, which means features like music, audiobooks, and flash summaries won’t be available immediately.” Amazon said in a blog post describing the integration new, “But the experience will continue to improve as we work with Microsoft to add new features and features over time. Since Alexa is always getting smarter, the experience gets better the more you use it.”

According to Microsoft, engineers will use feedback from the public preview to enhance the collaboration between Alexa and Cortana. Until then, here’s how to converse with both digital assistants.

Connect Cortana to Alexa

To make the process work, you will need to connect Cortana to Alexa and Alexa to Cortana. To connect Cortana to Alexa first:

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Tap the hamburger icon () and select Skills.
3. Type Cortana in the search field at the top and tap the Search button.
4. From the search results, tap the entry for Cortana.

The Cortana screen explains how the skill works. Press Enable to activate the skill.

Enable Cortana permission

When you tap Enable, Cortana will request access to your Alexa device. Press the button to Save Permissions. You’ll be shown what information Microsoft collects from you for Cortana to function on the next screen.

Access your Microsoft account

Sign in to your Microsoft Account with your username and password. Then give Cortana access to run on your Alexa device. The next screen will tell you that Cortana has been successfully linked.

Manage Cortana Skills

Before you try to summon Cortana through Alexa, make sure you’ve connected the necessary services so that Cortana can access your calendar, contacts, and other content. To do this, click in the Cortana search field on your Windows computer and select Notebook. Click the heading for Skills Management and then select the entry for connected services.

Service connection with Cortana

Turn on and connect to each service you want to access through Cortana.

open Cortana with Alexa

Next, “Alexa, open Cortana.” You can then ask questions to get general information, like weather forecasts and sports scores. However, the real purpose is to ask questions and access information that Alexa can’t process on its own, especially data specific to Cortana-connected services.

You can do things like accessing your calendar, checking for new emails, and listening to your to-do list items. You can also book appointments, send emails, and add to your to-do list. Here are some examples:

Connect Alexa to Cortana

Now connect Alexa to Cortana. On your Windows 10 computer, open Cortana. If that option is enabled, you can click in the Cortana search field or say, “Hey, Cortana.” Tell Cortana: “Open Alexa.”

Access your Amazon account

Sign in to your Amazon account. Click Allow to let the Alexa Skills Security Profile access the Alexa Voice Service. Click Yes to have Windows remember your Amazon login name and password. Click Yes to allow Microsoft to share your location and voice recordings with Alexa.

Open Alexa with Cortana

You can now talk to Alexa through Cortana. The next time you summon Alexa through Cortana, you’ll cut off the pursuit without having to sign in or authorize anything.

You can now interact with Alexa directly through your Windows computer. You can do more personal tasks, such as accessing your calendar appointments, listening to messages, and managing your to-do list. You can ask for the names of local restaurants, businesses, and other spots nearby. You can also manage your smart home.

While you can’t request music and radio playback, alarms, timers, or reminders, you can use many of the skills you normally access through Alexa, like playing games, quizzes, and listening to the news.