[eusty]

I think someone is missing a trick here....

On my Galaxy S3 (even though the voice control is pants) I just have to say a command from the lock screen (which I've 'recorded') and it starts listening.

On my Lumia I have to Swipe up.....select the Cortana tile....hit the 'mic' icon and then say something. Now it's not a hardship, but if it was as easy as the S3.......

[David P2]

I think someone is missing a trick here....

On my Galaxy S3 (even though the voice control is pants) I just have to say a command from the lock screen (which I've 'recorded') and it starts listening.

On my Lumia I have to Swipe up.....select the Cortana tile....hit the 'mic' icon and then say something. Now it's not a hardship, but if it was as easy as the S3.......

You can launch her if the screen is on but locked - just hold the search button down and Cortana launches in voice mode (which, incidentally works anywhere). You don't have to hit the tile and then the mic icon. Pressing (without holding) the search button launches in type mode, as if you had launched from the tile. She's worked like that since first release in the US with original 8.1 Preview.

[eusty]

Not from the lock screen for me, maybe it's because the button is capacitive rather than a physical button?

It does from the home screen though...thanks

[paulsalter]

It doesn't seem to work from the Glance screen, but if you double tap that to get to the normal lock screen then it works by holding the button
That's how it works on my 925

[David P2]

My 620 has capactive buttons - which are what I could call physical in this case. Non-hardware/capactive buttons are contained within the screen and only usable when its active. I think only the 63x and 930 have that setup so far.

Thinking about it though, if your lockscreen has a password, that could also be why it didn't work - I haven't got one set and Cortana fired up, but I had to wake the phone up first.

[itzkavin]

Not from the lock screen for me, maybe it's because the button is capacitive rather than a physical button?

It does from the home screen though...thanks

Try this.. Settings > Applications > Search.. And tick "Allow search button from lock screen"

[eusty]

It's the password lock, even if its not locked by it, but enabled then it won't work.

I don't have the option on the settings to search from the lock screen :(

[teckris]

my Lumia 620 activate CORTANA even from Locked screen :P

[David P2]

It's the password lock, even if its not locked by it, but enabled then it won't work.

I don't have the option on the settings to search from the lock screen :(

If you haven't already, go into speech settings and make sure 'use speech when the phone is locked', is ticked.

[eusty]

It already is :(

[James8561]

just to clarify.
you turn on the phone into lock screen, then press and hold the search key. that does not work?
press and hold search to activate only works when the phone is ON (as in it is awake, not asleep or off)

[thaman04]

You can actually speak to her a number of ways faster than that:
1. From the lock screen or in any app, you can press and hold the Search button and you can speak to her immediately.
2. If your phone is locked and in your pocket and you have headphones, you can launch her simply by pressing and holding the mic button on your headphones.
3. From your car, you can speak to her by calling Cortana on your system.

[eusty]

just to clarify.
you turn on the phone into lock screen, then press and hold the search key. that does not work?

No only when I disable the password. Even if the lock screen doesn't need a password to see the main screen (I have it set to a 15 minute timeout) it won't search.

To summarise...

Password enabled - no Cortana
Password disabled - Cortana

I can see the logic of this when a password is needed, but not if it's within it's timeout period.

press and hold search to activate only works when the phone is ON (as in it is awake, not asleep or off)

Well doh! ;)

[thaman04]

Password enabled - no Cortana
Password disabled - Cortana

This is wrong. Are you using 8.1 Update 1? Because this was just fixed. Cortana now works even if you have a pin on your lock screen. see my post above.

[SHildebrandt]

Possibly ;)

[eusty]

This is wrong. Are you using 8.1 Update 1? Because this was just fixed. Cortana now works even if you have a pin on your lock screen. see my post above.

You may say it's wrong, but that is what happens with my 630. My guess it's due to not having physical buttons.

Yes I'm on GDR1 as I had to update to get Cortana, I'm in the UK.

[Rhody#WP]

I would like a quicker way to access Cortana also. Even double tapping to wake and then holding the search button is a fairly long process. I know it's not that big a headache and it's a limitation of the technology, but having a push-to-talk-like feature for Cortana would be great. Why not use the camera button? When not in a camera app, a short push of the camera button does nothing. I would love to use the camera button to talk to Cortana.

Update:
I suggested this to uservoice:
Use short press of camera button as push-to-talk-with-Cortana feature when not in camera app. – Feature Suggestions for Windows Phone

[teckris]

I would like a quicker way to access Cortana also. Even double tapping to wake and then holding the search button is a fairly long process. I know it's not that big a headache and it's a limitation of the technology, but having a push-to-talk-like feature for Cortana would be great. Why not use the camera button? When not in a camera app, a short push of the camera button does nothing. I would love to use the camera button to talk to Cortana.

Update:
I suggested this to uservoice:
Use short press of camera button as push-to-talk-with-Cortana feature when not in camera app. €“ Feature Suggestions for Windows Phone

Such events could occur while phone is inside pocket or while taking out... So MS has blocked its use.
I see that a phone is useful with buttons if its screen is visible, otherwise an Accessory is preferred...