In a recent support page discovery by XDA Developers and Windows Central, Microsoft has announced the discontinuation of support for Cortana as a standalone app in Windows, starting later this year.
The decision to end Cortana’s presence on Windows does not come as a surprise, as Microsoft unveiled its latest Windows Copilot tool during the Build conference held in May. This new AI-powered tool will reside in the taskbar and offer users a plethora of functionalities, surpassing what Cortana currently provides. Users can expect features such as content summarization, text rewriting, query assistance, system setting adjustments, and more.
Cortana was initially introduced to Windows 10 in 2015, allowing users to set reminders, launch applications, and pose queries through voice commands. However, Microsoft has been gradually scaling back Cortana’s integration into the Windows experience over the years. With the release of Windows 11, Cortana lost its prominent position on the taskbar and was absent from the initial boot setup. In 2020, Microsoft discontinued the Cortana app on iOS and Android devices and halted Cortana support for Surface headphones and other related products.
The specific date for Cortana’s removal from Windows remains uncertain. Nevertheless, Microsoft’s growing collection of AI tools, including the Bing chatbot and Microsoft 365 Copilot, has taken precedence. Despite Cortana’s impending departure from Windows, Microsoft assures users that the digital assistant will still be accessible through Outlook mobile, Microsoft Teams mobile, Teams display, and Teams rooms. However, the longevity of Cortana’s presence on these platforms remains unclear.