Microsoft is to discontinue all third-party Cortana skills on September 7, and in early 2021 the company will stop supporting the Cortana app for iOS and Android devices.
Microsoft stated:
As we make this shift toward a transformational AI-powered assistant experience in Microsoft 365, we need to adjust our focus areas of innovation and development to give our customers assistance where they need it most. As a result, we are making changes to some U.S. consumer-centric features and functionalities with lower usage. Â
The first change is to end support for all third-party Cortana skills on September 7. Then, in early 2021, we’ll stop supporting the Cortana app for mobile (iOS and Android), because you can now manage your calendar and email, join meetings, and do so much more via our new productivity-focused experiences — like the Cortana Windows 10 experience, Cortana integration in Outlook mobile, and soon Cortana voice assistance in the Teams mobile app. Â
In addition, Cortana will no longer be integrated with the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker starting in January 2021, although Microsoft says it will work with Harman Kardon to create a transition plan for customers, including offering a $50 gift card for each active speaker.
Microsoft will no longer offer Cortana as a built-in voice assistant on the original Surface Headphones.
Microsoft commented:
Cortana in Surface Headphones will continue pivoting toward its mission to help customers with productivity throughout their day. While we’ll be removing support for the previous version of Cortana in the first version of Surface Headphones, you’ll still be able to use both versions of Surface Headphones, as well as the new Surface Earbuds, to tap into Cortana via Outlook mobile to manage your inbox and schedule with the Play My Emails feature.
