Microsoft is preparing to give Cortana in Microsoft Launcher for Android the ax. The company says Cortana services in Microsoft Launcher will be discontinued "by the end of April."
Microsoft has today announced that the Cortana app on iOS and Android, including Cortana inside the Microsoft Launcher, is being phased out early next year in certain markets. I reported last week that Microsoft was planning to remove Cortana from the Microsoft Launcher in certain markets, and now Microsoft has confirmed these plans in a support document.
Microsoft is planning to phase out Cortana inside the Microsoft Launcher over the next couple of months as the digital assistant pivots from competing with Google Assistant to being more contextual inside Microsoft 365 apps.
Cortana is expanding into new areas as Microsoft beings integrating the virtual assistant into Microsoft 365, starting with Outlook. Users inside Outlook will soon be able to take advantage of Cortana and allow it to work for you by organizing your calendar, emails, and more.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the company now sees Cortana as a complement to Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, rather than a competitor.