Microsoft shuts down Cortana voice assistant on iOS and Android, removes app from stores

Microsoft’s Cortana mobile app will no longer support Android and iOS as the company has decided to end the long-running stint of the virtual assistant from all mobile devices. Microsoft had announced in July 2020 that it will shut down the services of Cortana on all mobile devices from March 31, 2021. The tech giant had said that Cortana will continue to work on Windows computers, where all reminders, lists, and tasks will be automatically synced to Microsoft To Do app. 

Cortana silenced

Microsoft had launched Cortana voice assistant back in 2015 to compete against top market leaders such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Cortana was named after an artificial intelligence guide in the popular gaming series Halo, which was also a product of Microsoft. The world leader in making operating systems, Microsoft first launched the Cortana app for iOS and Android devices to enable users to connect their PCs to phones. 

After Cortana failed to create traction in the market, Microsoft relaunched the app with a new design. However, after a couple of years, the company realised Cortana cannot compete against the big players and thus decided to shut down the operations for mobile devices. Cortana app is no longer available on Apple’s App Store and Android’s Play Store. Microsoft has also removed all Cortana-supported speakers from the market, giving customers a $50 Microsoft gift card. 

Microsoft will not end Cortana completely as experts suggest that the company will integrate the AI into specific systems by improving the conversational aspect. It is not just Microsoft’s Cortana, Apple’s Siri is also failing to gain traction in the market, largely dominated by Amazon and Google. It remains to be seen what the future holds for an improved Cortana that Microsoft is planning to relaunch for specific systems.

(Image Credit: Twitter.MacRumours)