Microsoft Shuts Down Cortana App for iOS and Android

As expected, Microsoft today discontinued its Cortana mobile app. As a result, the company has ended all support for third-party Cortana skills and eliminated the Cortana app for iOS and Android devices.

cortana ios twitter
For those unfamiliar with Cortana, it is Microsoft's version of Siri or Alexa, an AI-based personal assistant that can answer questions and complete small tasks. The eponymous mobile app was originally launched in November 2018, but apparently never gained a user base big enough in its short lifetime for Microsoft to consider it worth maintaining.

As explained in a Microsoft support page, from today, March 31, the mobile app is no longer supported, and reminders and lists are no longer available within the app either, although they can still be accessed through Cortana in Windows. Also, Cortana reminders, lists, and tasks are automatically synced to the Microsoft To Do app, which is available as a free download on iOS and Android.

The planned shutdown of the apps was announced in July 2020, when Microsoft said it would be shifting toward a "transformational AI-powered assistant experience" in its Microsoft 365 apps, which would involve refocusing its "areas of innovation and development."

The company has since improved Cortana's integration in Microsoft 365, such as introducing personalized, actionable briefs in Outlook for Exchange users, and adding Cortana to the Teams mobile app to do things like manage calendars, email, and join meetings.

In January 2021, Microsoft ended support for the Cortana integration in the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker, and created a Bluetooth-enabled device transition plan for Invoke owners to be able to continue listening to their favorite music, podcasts, and radio stations. In addition, speaker owners who used Cortana are also eligible for a $50 Microsoft gift card, which is redeemable up to July 31, 2021.

Popular Stories

mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
best buy holiday

Best Buy Reveals Black Friday Plans With Sitewide Sales Available Now

Friday November 8, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Black Friday sales are continuing today with Best Buy kicking off early Black Friday deals that will last for the next few days. Similar to other retailers, Best Buy's early Black Friday event includes sitewide savings on Apple products, headphones, TVs, monitors, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may...
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
iOS 18 Notes Feature

How to Fix iPhone Notes Disappearing After Accepting New iCloud Terms

Thursday November 7, 2024 7:57 am PST by
Apple in September updated its iCloud terms and conditions with some minor changes, and this week it has been notifying iPhone users that they must accept the revised terms in order to continue using iCloud. Unfortunately, after accepting the new terms, some iPhone users have seen all of their notes disappear in the Notes app. While some users have turned to social media to justifiably panic ...

Top Rated Comments

MarkPL Avatar
47 months ago
That's really going to upset both people that use it...
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krakman Avatar
47 months ago

In addition, speaker owners who used Cortana are also eligible for a $50 Microsoft gift card, which is redeemable up to July 31, 2021.
Great I’ll use it to buy that Windows phone that I always wanted! Or maybe a Zune ?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lusky Avatar
47 months ago

The planned shutdown of the apps was announced in July 2020 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/31/microsoft-cortana-ios-shutting-down/'), when Microsoft said it would be shifting toward a "transformational AI-powered assistant experience" in its Microsoft 365 apps, which would involve refocusing its "areas of innovation and development."
they're bring back Clippy aren't they?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
williamyun7 Avatar
47 months ago
Please do the same thing in windows too?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mark and 30 others Avatar
47 months ago
Hi Cortana. You can go ahead and have a seat right there next to Zune and Windows phone. We will be with you... never
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mutepointer Avatar
47 months ago
In other words, they didn’t obtain too much information from data harvesting from those devices. Now fully shut it down from pc’s as well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)