Microsoft's ambitious plan to bring the voice assistant Cortana to multiple platforms came to its end. Originally launched in late 2018, the official Cortana app for iOS and Android is no longer supported. Microsoft pulled the app from Apple's App Store and Google Play Store in January 2020, and now Cortana on mobile no longer works even if you kept it installed on your device all these months.
Although you can no longer use any user-generated content in Cortana on Android or iOS, including lists and reminders, this data remains accessible in Cortana on Windows 10 and Microsoft To-Do. Here is the official statement from Microsoft:
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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.
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. Also, Cortana reminders, lists, and tasks are automatically synced to the Microsoft To-Do app, which you can download to your phone for free.
After March 31, 2021, the Cortana mobile app on your phone will no longer be supported.
It is worth noting that Microsoft does not plan to kill Cortana altogether. The voice assistant is still out there in Windows 10 and several Microsoft 365 apps and services. Still, the company no longer tries to compete with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. In 2018, Microsoft announced plans to reposition Cortana to a more productivity-based experience for Microsoft 365.
Cortana debuted first on Windows Phone 8.1 back in April 2014. Later, Microsoft expanded its digital assistant to Windows 10, Android, iOS, and even smart speakers, thermostats, and headphones. Unfortunately, Cortana on almost all these platforms is now dead. The company turned Harman-Kardon Invoke, the only Cortana-compatible device of its kind, into a simple traditional speaker with no smart capabilities. Also, Surface Headphones lost Cortana integration, and there are no more Cortana mobile apps.
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It’s a shame to see the end of Cortana and other products or services.
However, I also didn’t use Cortana that much. Maybe they should have focused on a gender-neutral AI or used a different name or something.