Microsoft announced Tuesday that its digital personal assistant Cortana will be available for Android and iOS devices this year.
Until now, Cortana has only been available on Windows Phones. It will soon come to desktops with the release of Windows 10, the next version of Windows that launches later this year.
Like Apple's Siri and Google Now, Cortana is able to let you set reminders, answer your questions, and fetch you information, like weather details, sports scores, and other internet search queries. It ties into your Microsoft account to gather all this information with your permission.
It's very similar to Siri and Google Now, but the main difference is that it'll integrate your Android or iOS smartphone with a Windows 10 computer. Microsoft is also making a Windows 10 Phone Companion App for Android and iOS that will help you through the process to link your iOS or Android phone to your Windows 10 computer.
Once you're set up, you can do things like set up reminders using Cortana on your Windows 10 computer, and get the same reminder notification on your phone when your away from your computer.
It's a great move by Microsoft that lets those entrenched in the Windows ecosystem with apps and software like OneNote, OneDrive, and Office benefit from using a Windows 10 computer with your mobile device platform of choice.
The Cortana app for Android is set for a late June release, while an iOS version will be available later this year.
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