In a pivotal shift, Microsoft has revealed plans to end support for the Cortana app on Windows 10 and Windows 11 by late 2023. This announcement comes on the heels of the tech giant unveiling Windows Copilot, a cutting-edge AI assistant, a week ago.
In a support document released on Friday, Microsoft indicated that Cortana, which has been a key feature of the Windows experience, will no longer function as a standalone app on Windows (via Windows Central). It underscored, however, that this change would not affect Cortana’s role as a productivity assistant in Microsoft 365 apps, which include Outlook Mobile, Teams Mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams rooms.
“We are making some changes to Windows that will impact users of the Cortana app. Starting in late 2023, we will no longer support Cortana in Windows as a standalone app…This change only impacts Cortana in Windows, and your productivity assistant, Cortana, will continue to be available in Outlook mobile, Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams rooms,” said the document.
“We know that this change may affect some of the ways you work in Windows, so we want to help you transition smoothly to the new options. Instead of clicking the Cortana icon and launching the app to begin using voice, now you can use voice and satisfy your productivity needs through different tools,” notes Microsoft.
Microsoft emphasized that the impending retirement of Cortana on Windows would coincide with the launch of several AI products and services designed to replace the outgoing app. This list prominently features the soon-to-launch Windows Copilot, a highly intelligent AI assistant powered by the ChatGPT technology, capable of managing more intricate queries than Cortana.
The upcoming Windows Copilot and other tools, such as Bing Chat AI, are touted as the successors to Cortana, promising to deliver on, and possibly exceed, the features and functions offered by the soon-to-be-discontinued Cortana app.
While the Cortana assistant on Windows is set to retire, Microsoft reassures that the Cortana productivity assistant in Microsoft 365 apps will continue to operate as usual, providing uninterrupted services to users.
