Microsoft disables standalone Cortana app on Windows 11 insider build

Microsoft recently launched a new update for the standalone Cortana app on Windows 11, which makes the AI powered assistant redundant.

By: Tech Desk

New Delhi | August 6, 2023 11:59 AM IST

2 min read

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Microsoft is replacing Cortana with its new GPT 4 powered Windows Copilot. (Image Source: Microsoft)

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Microsoft seems to be deprecating the standalone app for some Windows 11 users. Currently limited to Windows Insiders running on the Dev and Canary channels, the tech giant appears to be making Cortana redundant via an update in Microsoft Store.

According to a report by XDADevelopers, the Cortana app on Microsoft Store received an update which shows a message saying ‘Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated’.

Just below the message, you can also see a ‘Learn More’ button, clicking on which takes users to a support page, which suggests that the change only impacts Windows.

It looks like Cortana will continue working on other apps like Microsoft Teams display, Microsoft Teams Rooms, Teams mobile and Outlook mobile until Microsoft decides to kill those versions and replace it with the new OpenAI-backed GPT-powered Bing Search.

Cortana is no longer working for those on the Dev and Canary channel of Windows 11 Insider. (Image Source: XDADevelopers)

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If you are on other insider channels, the AI assistant will keep working for some time before it stops working for everyone before the end of the month.

Introduced in 2014 with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft rolled out Cortana on its desktop operating system with the launch of Windows 10. But when it couldn’t keep up with the likes of Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri, the tech giant started phasing out the AI-powered assistant. In 2018, Microsoft shut down the Android and iOS version of Cortana and discontinued support three years later.

For those wondering, Microsoft is replacing Cortana with Windows Copilot, a new Bing-powered AI assistant that makes use of Windows 11 APIs to interact with apps and can help users change various settings like device theme, search on Bing and more. The new Windows Copilot is expected to roll out with the upcoming Windows 11 23H2 update.

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