Cortana will be integrated into Microsoft 365 apps

Nov 18, 2019 08:30 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has recently confirmed that its mobile Cortana app would be discontinued in January for specific markets, explaining that its new strategy going forward is integrating the digital assistant in Microsoft 365 productivity apps.

According to the software giant itself, both the Android and the iOS Cortana apps in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia would be retired in January, but it looks like other markets like Germany, Australia, Germany, and India would also see the digital assistant go.

Microsoft might be keeping around the Cortana app in the United States for a little bit longer, but there’s a good chance the assistant would be killed off in this market sooner or later as well.

“To make your personal digital assistant as helpful as possible, we’re integrating Cortana into your Microsoft 365 productivity apps. As part of this evolution, on January 31st, 2020, we’re ending support for the Cortana app on Android and iOS in your market,” Microsoft says.

“At that point, the Cortana content you created–such as reminders and lists–will no longer function in the Cortana mobile app or Microsoft Launcher, but can still be accessed through Cortana on 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.”

Cortana pulled from consumer apps

Microsoft says Microsoft Launcher for Android will be updated to remove Cortana altogether by the time the standalone app is pulled.

Cortana transitioning from a consumer-oriented approach to the enterprise, with the focus on productivity, is something that Microsoft has long been looking into, and this new announcement confirms the digital assistant failed to gain traction in the consumer market.

In fact, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella himself admitted that Cortana isn’t necessarily a competitor for Google Assistant and Alexa, and pushing this service towards a business-oriented strategy makes more sense in the long term, especially given Microsoft’s renewed focus on enterprises.