Roger Fingas
Microsoft is now accepting public beta sign-ups for the iOS version of Cortana, which will bring a limited amount of the Windows assistant's features to iPhones.
Testers must be a member of the Windows Insider Program and fill out a short survey, Microsoft announced in an official blog post. The survey's contents hint that Cortana for iOS will be iPhone-only, and require iOS 8 or later.
People accepted into the beta should receive emailed download links in the next several weeks. Microsoft is also restricting the test to the U.S. and China.
Some Windows features will initially be missing, most notably the "Hey Cortana" voice activation command. iOS blocks third-party voice commands from being used at the lockscreen or homescreen, though they can be triggered in-app.
Microsoft is promising "frequent" updates to expand the beta's features, but hasn't said what those might contain, or when the finished app should be released.
On Windows, Cortana can handle a range of tasks including checking weather, setting reminders, making calendar appointments, and searching both the Web and local device content. iOS' lack of an open filesystem will prevent local search, but most other functions should be supported, presumably in sync with Windows.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
15 Comments
"Hey Siri, who's your new roommate? Can she not afford her own place?"
Just kidding. Wonder how this will compare with Siri?
Choice ain't a bad thing, but a redundant headliner service that comes from a redundant platform that nobody cares about. Does its integration into Windows 10 make it relevant? You decide. Colour me unimpressed. But it's still nice to see MS serving the top tier of tech consumers.
Choice ain't a bad thing, but a redundant headliner service that comes from a redundant platform that nobody cares about. Does its integration into Windows 10 make it relevant? You decide.
Colour me unimpressed. But it's still nice to see MS serving the top tier of tech consumers.
It's just another day seeing The New MS serving itself more data on the back of other platforms.
Some people see that as a feature; others, not so much. Meh, I'll stick with Siri.
I have no interest to use an office assistant that I have to access through an app. Sorry, Google Now and Cortana, you both are good but ain't get used in iOS. At the end of the day, people want convenience and that's Siri because they just need to press and hold home button while the phone is locked or say Hey Siri to access it.
The fact Apple has blocked access to who is searching for what is staving the likes of Google and MS from valuable user information. So they are trying so hard to find ways back in.