Following through on its promise to discontinue support for Cortana on mobile devices in early 2021, Microsoft has now shut down support on the digital assistant app on iOS and Android.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Cortana is no longer available on mobile.
- It was previously pulled from the Invoke speaker.
- Your Cortana content is no longer accessible on mobile.
- The feature and your content are still available on Windows.
Cortana is no longer available on mobile
As a result of the move, the AI-driven virtual assistant is no longer available in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. “As we announced in July, we will soon be ending support for the Cortana app on Android and iOS, as Cortana continues its evolution as a productivity assistant,” according to a support document on the Microsoft website.
Your Cortana reminders and other content are still available in Windows. “As of March 31, 2021, the Cortana content you created–such as reminders and lists–will no longer function in the Cortana mobile app, but can still be accessed through Cortana in Windows.”
“After March 31, 2021, the Cortana mobile app on your phone will no longer be supported.”
Trimming back Cortana
Cortana debuted in March 2014 as Microsoft’s answer to Siri. The digital assistant uses Microsoft’s Bing search engine to perform tasks such as setting reminders and answering questions. Microsoft heavily invested in Cortana, especially as competitors like Google Assistant and Alexa were becoming increasingly popular with users.
Microsoft even planned to bring the AI-powered virtual assistant to a bunch of smart home devices and speakers. The plan looked good on paper, but third-party support for Cortana on other people’s hardware has never taken off in a meaningful way.
The Invoke from Harman Kardon (pictured above) was the only smart speaker to integrate Cortana functionality. In January 2021, however, Harman Kardon released a firmware update that has completely removed Cortana functionality from the speaker.
While the Windows maker did not get rid of Cortana altogether, it began trimming back the digital assistant’s capabilities and features across platforms and devices. The Redmond company even discontinued support for Cortana on its own Surface headphones.
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With support for Cortana on mobile now ended, the digital assistant is currently available as a feature of Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 with personalized support within Outlook for Exchange users and support in the Teams mobile app to manage emails, calendars and more.