Seven months after Microsoft revealed that it would be bringing its Cortana digital assistant to Android and iOS, the company is following through on that promise.
Cortana is officially launching on Android, iOS, and Cyanogen OS devices today. It’s compatible with devices running Android 4.1.2 and up or iOS 8 and higher, and it’ll be available on the OnePlus One and other Cyanogen OS devices running the 12.11 update that’ll roll out in December.
With Cortana, you can do things like set location-based reminders on your Windows PC and then have them pop up on your smartphone. You can also get your missed call alerts on your PC, and if you’d like, you can then use your PC to send a text message to that caller. One other Cortana feature that Microsoft is highlighting is its tracking capabilities, which can show you information on packages, flights, and more.
Cyanogen OS users will enjoy deeper Cortana integration than their Android and iOS counterparts. Cyanogen and Microsoft have worked together to enable the “Hey Cortana” hotword from any part of the OS, letting you activate Cortana at any time. You can also ask Cortana to toggle network modes on and off, turn off your phone, and activate a Quiet Mode that’ll silence all alerts.
Cortana may not be as deeply integrated with Android and iOS as Google Now and Siri, respectively, but it could be a nice tool for Windows users because of the support for reminders, tracking, and more. Microsoft is offering some solid software on non-Windows mobile platforms, like the Outlook app (yes, I know they bought it, but Microsoft has done well maintaining and improving it), and it’s good to see that effort continue with Cortana.
If you decide to give Cortana a try on your Android or iOS device, let us know what you think of it.
