Microsoft has shut down its Cortana app for iOS and Android, including Microsoft’s own Surface Headphones. The Cortana app for iOS and Android is no longer supported, and Microsoft has removed it from both the App Store and Google’s Play Store. Cortana reminders, lists, and tasks are now available in the Microsoft To Do app instead.
A Microsoft support note reads, “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.”
Microsoft first launched Cortana for iOS and Android in December 2015. The app was originally designed to connect Windows 10 PCs and mobile phones, but failed to gain traction despite a big redesign. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recognized the company’s difficulties in competing with other digital assistants a couple of years ago, revealing that Microsoft no longer saw Cortana as a competitor to Alexa and Google Assistant.
Microsoft had once envisioned a future full of Cortana-powered fridges, toasters, and thermostats. That dream came to an end earlier this month when the first and only Cortana speaker removed Microsoft’s digital assistant. Other devices like the Cortana-powered GLAS thermostat are also no longer powered by Microsoft’s digital assistant.
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