Microsoft Launches Official 'Cortana' App for iOS and Android Devices

[MacRumors]

Microsoft today officially launched its virtual assistant Cortana as a downloadable app for iOS and Android platforms (via Business Insider). Similar to Apple's Siri personal assistant, Cortana allows Windows users to set reminders, preview the weather, and answer basic questions thanks to integrated internet search abilities. Other Cortana for iOS and Android features include the following:

oSet and get location and time reminders across your PC and phone.
oTrack packages, flights, scores, stocks, and other important info across your PC and phone.
oUse Cortana's Notebook to view, edit and manage your interests
oGet information and answers to all kinds of questions. If you're looking for it, Cortana can help find it.
oHave a little fun in your down time -- ask anything, get jokes, and much more.

Microsoft detailed a few features for Cortana at Business Insider's Ignition Conference in New York City, including abilities like asking Cortana for help with your voice without having to open up the app. Unfortunately, most of those features won't be available to iOS users due to certain developer restrictions that fence off Cortana from becoming fully integrated into iOS.

On the other hand, a few Android smartphones will gain a leg up on the iOS version of Cortana thanks to a partnership between Microsoft and start-up company Cyanogen, which runs a custom version of the OS on select Android devices. With Cyanogen software, Android users will have essentially all of the abilities Windows Phone users have over Cortana, including being able to speak to the personal assistant without opening up the separate app.

After some rumors and speculation earlier in the year, in May Microsoft confirmed that Cortana would be heading to non-Windows Phone platforms later this year. In November, the company opened up beta sign-ups for users to test out Cortana for iOS in a pre-release state.

Cortana for iOS is available to download now for free from the App Store [Direct Link].

Article Link: Microsoft Launches Official 'Cortana' App for iOS and Android Devices

 

[matt3526]

Not really sure what the point of this is on iOS. Also not available in the UK app store

 

[retrem93409]

not showing in UK app store

 

[J. Jizzle]

Wow. Wasn't expecting it to be released so fast. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago they were sending it out to Beta Testers? Not much Beta Testing to do, I guess... I'll download it, but not really sure what to expect, since it can't actually replace Siri...

EDIT: hmm. It seems Microsoft (or Apple)has removed the App from iTunes. I'm in the US and can't seem to find it when searching for it. The direct link in the article doesn't work either. When you say "show in iTunes" it takes you to the page to download/install iTunes and not actually opening up iTunes on your computer...

 

[caligomez]

Why?

 

[rgeneral]

I wonder if the android community will give this app another 1 star treatment

 

[bushido]

Wow. Wasn't expecting it to be released so fast. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago they were sending it out to Beta Testers? Not much Beta Testing to do, I guess... I'll download it, but not really sure what to expect, since it can't actually replace Siri...

EDIT: hmm. It seems Microsoft (or Apple)has removed the App from iTunes. I'm in the US and can't seem to find it when searching for it. The direct link in the article doesn't work either. When you say "show in iTunes" it takes you to the page to download/install iTunes and not actually opening up iTunes on your computer...

works for me

 

[DIRSGT]

Wow. Wasn't expecting it to be released so fast. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago they were sending it out to Beta Testers? Not much Beta Testing to do, I guess... I'll download it, but not really sure what to expect, since it can't actually replace Siri...

EDIT: hmm. It seems Microsoft (or Apple)has removed the App from iTunes. I'm in the US and can't seem to find it when searching for it. The direct link in the article doesn't work either. When you say "show in iTunes" it takes you to the page to download/install iTunes and not actually opening up iTunes on your computer...

Check now. I am in the USA and using the direct link could download it from the App Store.

 

[AlliFlowers]

Hey Siri....Open Cortana. Totally hands-free.

 

[gabriel193755]

Wow. Wasn't expecting it to be released so fast. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago they were sending it out to Beta Testers? Not much Beta Testing to do, I guess... I'll download it, but not really sure what to expect, since it can't actually replace Siri...

EDIT: hmm. It seems Microsoft (or Apple)has removed the App from iTunes. I'm in the US and can't seem to find it when searching for it. The direct link in the article doesn't work either. When you say "show in iTunes" it takes you to the page to download/install iTunes and not actually opening up iTunes on your computer...

Here is how you can find it:

>Look for any other Microsoft app at the App Store

>Tap on the developer

>Scroll until you find Cortana

>Download it

>Play with it for 5 minutes

>Forget it for the rest of your life inside of that folder named "others"

 

[J. Jizzle]

Check now. I am in the USA and using the direct link could download it from the App Store.

Still a no-go for me. I still get sent to the iTunes download page when clicking "View in iTunes". Strange, because I haveiTunes open when doing it... I'll wait a while longer and try again. And searching in the App Store for "Cortana" doesn't bring up the app for me.

 

[8281]

Wish Apple would develop iCloud further. There's a lot of potential there and in cross platform software. Pages (desktop version) et al. wont go anywhere unless they are available on PCs.

 

[J. Jizzle]

Here is how you can find it
>Look for any other Microsoft app at the App Store

>Tap on the developer

>Scroll until you find Cortana

>Download it

>Play with it for 5 minutes

>Forget it for the rest of your life inside of that folder named "others"

Thanks. Found it now.

 

[ipooed]

Not available in Canada either

 

[2457282]

Although I am not a big fan of M$, I have heard great things about cortana. Let see if Apple ever lets me change the default assistant. That's about the only way that I would even entertain looking at this or Google. Yeah, I am that lazy

 

[pat500000]

Siri and cortana going at each other's throat..... Cat fight!

 

[Studioman]

Wish Apple would develop iCloud further. There's a lot of potential there and in cross platform software. Pages et al. wont go anywhere unless they are available on PCs.

Pages via iCloud works on PCs

 

[Corrode]

I like how Siri is getting some competition, but without any access to iOS apps, I don't see this succeeding. I just want Siri to be better.

 

[MoMo4489]

Requires login to M$ account. Don't have one, so there goes Cortana.

 

[8281]

Pages via iCloud works on PCs

Sorry, referring to the desktop apps. And without a Safari for PC I think people default to Google since you can get everything on chrome.

 

[Jessica Lares]

It's not as good as the Windows Phone version. For me, the nice thing about it there was that developers could integrate it into their apps so you could use commands. I know stuff like OmniFocus just uses the Reminders system to make this possible with Siri, but this was so much better because it went beyond your calendar, reminders, music, podcasts, and the basic search stuff.

 

[AtheistP3ace]

Pretty cool, definitely check it out but wonder how useful it will be with no OS integration.

 

[the-msa]

I wonder if the android community will give this app another 1 star treatment

currently, 5-star ratings are the vast majority for the app.

 

[whodatrr]

While this nascent technology is off most people's radar, this maybe the future of ecosystem lock-in?

It's not a stretch to think that at some point Alexa, Cortana, or Siri may be more important to users than the OS or devices these "assistants" follow us around on. They'll own our schedules, our documents, our contacts, know our habits, provide access to our entertainment, help us spend money, automate our work and living spaces, help run our vehicles, mine our data, etc. They will be the gatekeepers between us and the technology and services we use.

While this is kludgy at the moment, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the biggest tech battle in the next decade?

 

[rdlink]

I downloaded it, and Cortana very politely asked me to allow her access to my personal information, and for permission to use it in any way she sees fit. At which point I politely deleted her from my phone.