Microsoft has officially declared the forthcoming discontinuation of support for the standalone Cortana app on Windows, as indicated in a recent support document discovered by Windows Central. The tech giant’s decision highlights a shift in focus towards its new AI-powered productivity tool, Windows Copilot. Originally introduced in 2014 as a voice assistant for Windows mobile devices, Cortana aimed to rival Apple’s Siri and predated Amazon’s Alexa, but failed to attain comparable recognition and popularity.
Over time, Microsoft gradually scaled back its plans for Cortana, leading to the discontinuation of its Android and iOS apps in 2021. The company also removed Cortana from third-party devices such as smart speakers. For Windows, Cortana transitioned from being an integrated digital assistant to an independent app for computers, which will be bid farewell by the end of this year.
