Microsoft announced that it is ending support for its digital assistant, Cortana, for iOS and Android outside of the US. Starting from 31 January 2020, Cortana will not be available in countries such as the UK, Canada, Germany, China, Australia, Mexico, Spain, and India.
The company who owns the Windows OS wrote on its support page that it is removing Cortana on mobile, but will be integrating the digital assistant with its Microsoft 365 apps. Additionally, the reminders, lists and calendars items made by Cortana will be moved to the Microsoft To-Do apps.
Removing Cortana from the two mobile operating systems may pose a problem for Surface Headphones users in the future. Considering that the audio accessory utilises the app for updates and features. At the same time, Microsoft did not mention how the headphones will continue to operate after the removal date.
Another reason for the shift in focus for Cortana is competition. Considering how Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa have improved, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, says that Cortana just isn’t a viable competitor any more.
Cortana was first released back in 2015 on Windows 10 PC, with the digital assistant being made available on Android and iOS a few months later. As for now, Cortana has been made an integral part of the Surface Headphones and Xbox One.
On another note, Cortana’s fate in the US is still unclear and considering the recent decision, it’s likely that we could see Cortana being integrated into other Microsoft apps rather being a standalone feature.
(Source: Microsoft via The Verge, Techspot)
