Microsoft Kills the Cortana Mobile App Everywhere, Except the US

Earlier last month, Microsoft announced that it’skilling off support for the Cortana voice assistanton Android and iOS. Both its standalone app, as well as the Cortana integration within the Microsoft Launcher, will go away on January 31.

Back then, it was reported to vanish from the Play Store and App Store in India, the UK, Australia, Germany, Mexico, China, Spain, and Canada – except the US. We’ve today received confirmation of the same and learned thereason why Cortana will continue to be supported only in the United States.

In arecent interview with Venturebeat, Microsoft’s Cortana team lead Andrew Shuman stated that the Cortana app on Android and iOS is needed to configure and update theSurface Headphonesfirmware. This is one of the reasons that the app isn’t going away from the US. The publication, however, makes a valid point by adding that the Surface Headphones are also available in several other regions across the globe.

“We still have people who use their Cortana apps to manage their headphone operation. So, if you have the Surface Headphones, you can use the Cortana app with those (not in every location though) and we’re still supporting that,”said Shuman. Only US users will have access to its mobile app while everyone else will ultimately have to rely on Cortana for Windows.

Also, Shuman added thelocations where Cortana support is being ended saw very limited traction. The second reason for keeping the lights on in the US will have to be experimentation. Microsoft may havebrought Alexa into the foldto offers its users a lot more versatility but it hasn’t given up on Cortana just yet. Voice assistance is surely the future and the company is still holding out hope – looking to build a standalone assistant that may one day come into play somewhere.

In the same interview, Shuman revealed that the delayed Surface Earbuds (Microsoft’s attempt at truly wireless earphones) will see the light of day in Spring next year. It will launch with an accompanying Surface Audio app for Android, iOS, and Windows PCs to allow users to configure Cortana and manage the settings. So, stay tuned for updates.

Anmol

Getting my start with technology journalism back in 2016, I have been working in the industry for over 7 years. Currently, as the Editor of Beebom, I’m leading the coverage on the website. While my expertise lies in Android, Windows, and the apps world, find me reading manga, watching anime, and playing Apex in my free time.

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