If there was a list of stock apps that users rarely use in Windows 11, the Cortana app would probably be near the top spot. Fortunately, Microsoft is ending the standalone Cortana app in Windows 11. The plug will be pulled on an app that hasn’t gotten the attention it expected since its release. Cortana is being removed.
Cortana is finally being removed
Microsoft confirmed that Cortana would cease to exist as a standalone app in Windows 11 later this year. Now, two months later, Microsoft is retiring the Cortana app via an update in the Microsoft Store. However, for now, only Windows Insiders running on the Dev and Canary channels are getting the update.
As a result, Cortana will most likely stop working on other Insider Channels in the coming days and eventually stop working for everyone by the end of this month. It’s still unclear whether the app will be included in the Windows 11 23H2 update, which is likely to be released in September or October this year.
Upon opening the app after completing the update, users will be greeted with a welcome message stating that “Cortana on Windows is being deprecated as a standalone app”. Directly below the message will be a Learn More button that redirects to a Microsoft support page explaining how this change will affect users.
As announced by Microsoft, the change only affects Cortana on Windows. Cortana on Outlook mobile, Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display and Microsoft Teams Rooms will of course continue to exist until Microsoft decides to remove these versions as well. Cortana is expected to be replaced by the Windows Copilot app.
Microsoft’s Cortana made a grand entrance on Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014, but failed to gain a foothold in the market despite the company supporting it almost everywhere. It couldn’t compete with rival digital assistants like Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This is no doubt the reason why Microsoft is killing the app with the new Windows update.
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