While not especially surprising given its lack of attention, Microsoft has announced quietly today through a support document that it “will no longer support Cortana in Windows as a standalone app,” starting in late 2023.
Cortana was at one time “the next big thing,” a personal assistant that could look up stuff, complete tasks, and answer questions similar to Amazon’s Alexa. It debuted in 2014 for Windows and Windows Phone, but by 2019, after attempts to increase engagement by connecting directly with Alexa didn’t help, Microsoft began shifting gears, relegating Cortana as an assistant for Office and Teams.
Now with the advent of Bing Chat, and voice access for Windows 11, Cortana’s functionality has largely been replaced.
Microsoft’s advice for those who still use the Cortana app in Windows 10 or 11 (and there can’t be that many of you), is basically to use something else:
We know that this change may affect some of the ways you work in Windows, so we want to help you transition smoothly to the new options. Instead of clicking the Cortana icon and launching the app to begin using voice, now you can use voice and satisfy your productivity needs through different tools.
Did you ever use Cortana in Windows or Windows Phone? Let us know in the comments below.
(via Windows Central)
