Microsoft will kill Cortana on iOS and Android in 2021

It looks like Cortana will be fired from iOS and Android duties. We saw that one coming, as Microsoft removed its smart assistant from Microsoft Launcher earlier this year. Microsoft also ended support for the Cortana app on Android and iOS in three markets: Australia, Canada, China, India, Mexico, Germany, Spain, and the UK. The days of Cortana on Android and iOS are now numbered, according to the latest post on Microsoft’s official blog.

“The first change is to end support for all third-party Cortana skills on September 7. Then, in early 2021, we’ll stop supporting the Cortana app for mobile (iOS and Android), because you can now manage your calendar and email, join meetings, and do so much more via our new productivity-focused experiences — like the Cortana Windows 10 experience, Cortana integration in Outlook mobile, and soon Cortana voice assistance in the Teams mobile app.”

Despite the loud title, Cortana won’t transcend to the eternal digital hunting grounds but reincarnate as a productivity-focused digital helper, complimenting apps like Outlook and Teams. It’s a logical move from Microsoft, as the mobile niche is already occupied by Google Assistant and Siri. Carving out its own niche might be the best way to move forward for the Halo-inspired digital assistant.