For those Windows Insiders that downloaded the Windows 10 Preview Build 14352, you will see improvements to Cortana and Cortana integration with Groove Music.

Not only can you ask Cortana to play local files and songs on your OneDrive with your Windows 10 PC, but you can also use Cortana to play songs within Groove Music. If you are fortunate enough to have a Groove Music Pass, all you need to do is ask Cortana to play whatever you want to hear. You can also ask Cortana from the Lock screen.

Here’s a list of some of the new commands that you can use with Cortana:

“Hey Cortana, play <song name>”

“Hey Cortana, play <artist>”

“Hey Cortana, play my <Groove playlist name>”

“Hey Cortana, pause”

I ran into a problem with Cortana and her Groove Music commands. I have a Groove Music Pass, so I (should in theory) have access to the Groove Music Catalog; meaning it should be able to find any music I ask Cortana to play. However, Cortana can find some bands and artists but not seemingly obvious ones (above picture is one example).

Another problem is Cortana’s Groove Music support is only available for US English at this time. Hopefully, we’ll see the other regions supported in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Another addition to Cortana is the ability to set timers. Using Cortana, you can set a timer for any type of project. With Summer 2016 (for us in the Northern Hemisphere anyway) just a few days away, Cortana can be used to set timers for cooking, whether it be on the stove or on the grill.

In addition to setting a timer, you can also ask Cortana how much time is left and Cortana will tell you. If you are on your PC, the Cortana timer commands will also work from your Lock screen. Microsoft provides some examples of Cortana timer commands:

“Hey Cortana, set a timer for 10 minutes”

“Hey Cortana, how much time is left?”

“Hey Cortana, cancel my timer”

With Cortana’s new commands for Groove Music and setting timers, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Let us know what new features and improvements you’d like to see from Cortana and Groove Music.

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