14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has already announced its intention of bringing personal assistant Cortana on non-Windows platforms, and while Android users have already received their own beta, iOS adopters are yet to get this feature on their iPhones.
Today, Microsoft has launched a private beta program for Cortana on iOS, asking insiders in the United States and China to register for the beta testing and run the personal assistant on their devices.
Cortana has already been tested intensively by company employees, and before rolling it out to users in the store, Microsoft wants to get more feedback from those participating in the Windows Insider program.
“In the spirit of the Windows Insider Program, we’re looking for a limited number of people to get their hands on an early version of the app. It’s important to keep in mind that this is the first public release of the Cortana for iOS beta,” the company says in an announcement on its Community forums (via The Verge).
Only available in China and the US
Cortana on iPhone will only be offered to those in the United States and China, and the company promises to deliver frequent updates in the coming months to make sure it significantly improves its performance before the public debut.
Some features that are currently available on Windows won’t work on iPhones because of the limitations that Apple has introduced, such as the Hey Cortana voice command that allows users to wake up the personal assistant by simply calling her name.
In order to register for the private beta, you must obviously own an iPhone running iOS 8 or 9. You also need to take this short survey to provide Microsoft with information about your account, so hurry up to send your details before the private beta program closes.
“We'll be limiting access to begin with, and will start sending out download links over email to bring users on-board in the coming weeks,” Redmond explains.