It really wasn’t so surprising when Microsoft announced last year that support for their AI-powered smart assistant, Cortana, will end soon. It never really managed to catch up to the Siris, Google Assistants, and even Bixbys of this world. In case users have forgotten about this though, the Cortana Android app has now sent ominous warnings to its users that its demise is imminent, specifically by March 31. It will still live on in some capacity, but not as a smart assistant on your mobile device if you ever used it at all.
This isn’t really news for those who have been using Cortana but most of us probably forgot that the end is near. The notification is showing up for users of the Android app and it simply says, “On March 31, 2021, Cortana mobile will be discontinued”. And when you click to learn more, you get the support page with more details about what will actually happen by then. Basically, the mobile app will no longer be supported and all your reminders and lists will be deleted from there.
But worry not if you have a lot of lists and reminders. They will still be available in the Cortana app for Windows and they will also be synced to the Microsoft To-Do app. And if you’re looking for a to-do list app anyway, To-Do is a pretty good one especially if you’re still into the whole Microsoft ecosystem and is available for free. The page also says that this is in continuation of the evolution of Cortana as a productivity assistant.
The end of support for the app on Android (and iOS) devices is the latest move in their almost total withdrawal from the smart assistant market. The Invoke speakers from Harman Kardon, the only hardware built for Cortana, has also announced that the smart speakers will become just Bluetooth speakers as they are ending support for Cortana. Microsoft Teams will be integrating the voice assistant in its enterprise apps as per MS Power User.
But for now, prepare to say goodbye to Cortana on your Android smartphone. If you still have any reminders or lists there, make sure they’re already synced to Microsoft To-Do or elsewhere by March 31.
