Microsoft has announced a Cortana application for iOS and Android platforms that will work as a companion to Cortana digital assistant on Windows 10 PC. A phone companion app on the PC will help you install the Cortana app from the Google and Apple app stores. The Android version is scheduled to launch later next month, while the iOS version will be available by end of this year.
Cortana on Android and iOS has similar looks of its its Windows counterpart. It can respond to queries across devices. However, Cortana on Android and iOS will lack several features that are available on Windows phones. “Some features require access to the system that aren’t currently possible with iOS or Android, so things like toggling settings or opening apps won’t initially be available in the Cortana companions for those platforms. Similarly, the ability to invoke Cortana hands-free by saying “Hey Cortana” requires special integration with the device’s microphone, so that feature will be limited to Windows Phones and PCs,” explains Microsoft in a detailed post.
Microsoft has a new companion app that will allow Windows users to install and make most of apps such as OneNote, OneDrive among others on the mobile platforms. The Phone Companion app will come preinstalled on on Windows 10. The app will help users to access content on their Windows 10 PC on the Android or iOS phone. “Take a note wherever you are—notes you write on your PC in OneNote will show up on your phone. And any note you tweak on your phone will get synced to your PC. And you can work on your Office documents from any of your devices, without worrying about moving files around,” adds Microsoft.
Roll-out of Cortana on Android and iOS is in line with Microsoft's latest efforts to build cross-platform applications. Cortana, believed to be Microsoft's response to Apple's Siri and Google's Google Now, is one of the key elements of the much-anticipated Windows 10 OS that will be launched later this year. The digital assistant comes integrated with Microsoft's new browser Edge. Find out more about Microsoft's companion app and Cortana integration in the video below: