A beta version of Cortana is currently available for US users.
By Raghavendra M
Microsoft has made Cortana, its virtual assistant software, available to users of Android devices from August 25.
Launched as an answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Now, Cortana acts as a digital assistant on mobile devices, responding to voice commands.
As Windows Phone devices are lagging behind Android and Apple devices, Microsoft has been trying to expand its mobile presence outside its own Windows platform. It has already launched a few of its mobile apps for Android and iOS.
Now, a beta version of Cortana has been made available to US users and is expected to be rolled out to other markets in the coming days.
“The Cortana app can do most of the things Cortana does on your PC or on a Windows phone,” said Susan Hendrich, who is responsible for developing the virtual assistant, in a blog post.
“With the app, you can manage your hectic lifestyle by setting and getting reminders, searching the web on-the-go, tracking important information such as flight details as well as starting and completing tasks across all of your devices”, Susan added.
An iOS version of the app is also coming soon, Microsoft has said.