14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will remove several consumer features from Cortana, while also pulling the digital assistant from Microsoft Launcher on Android as part of a new approach that makes this service more appropriate for business use.
The Redmond-based software giant said in an announcement that consumer features like controlling the music, the connected home, and third-party skills would no longer be available in Cortana beginning with the major update the company plans to release this spring.
The Windows 10 feature update due in April or May is called version 2004 and has already been finalized last December. It’s expected to be signed off this month.
Bye-bye, Microsoft Launcher
Microsoft says that this new approach also has Cortana waving goodbye to Microsoft Launcher on Android, albeit the digital assistant will continue to be available on Google’s mobile platform as a dedicated mobile app.
“We’ve tightened access to Cortana so that you must be securely logged in with your work or school account or your Microsoft account before using Cortana, and some consumer skills including music, connected home and third-party skills will no longer be available in the updated Cortana experience in Windows 10. We’re also making some changes to where Cortana helps you,” Microsoft says.
“As part of our standard practice, we are ending support for Cortana in older versions of Windows that have reached their end-of-service dates. We recommend that customers update their devices to the latest version of Windows 10 to continue using Cortana. We’ll also be turning off the Cortana services in the Microsoft Launcher on Android by the end of April.”
The spring 2020 Cortana update will include new features like getting answers from Bing, opening apps, adjusting the device configuration, and setting alarms and times. These capabilities will first go live in the United States, with international markets to get them in the coming months, Microsoft promises.