FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Tech

Microsoft’s Cortana Can Now Assist Android Users

Where's the nearest pizza place?
Image: Nicholas Deleon

The first public beta of Cortana, Microsoft's Siri-like digital assistant software, was released for Android just a few moments ago.

Cortana, which debuted on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform in April 2014, let users carry out functions like set reminders and search the web via voice recognition.

A version of Cortana also shipped with Windows 10 in late July.

The release of Cortana for Android is part of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's broader strategy of making Microsoft software and services available on a variety of platforms and not merely platforms controlled by Microsoft. (See also: Office apps for iOS and Android, for example.) A version of Cortana for iOS is also in development, but Microsoft has not said when it will be released.