Cortana for Android Beta Goes Public

Cortana for Android is out of closed beta, and is now letting all Android users test it out.

Microsoft announced the public beta release earlier today on the official Windows Blog, stating that the Cortana digital assistant "is the companion to your Windows 10 PC, extending Cortana’s functionality across any device you carry." However, it's not exactly like its Windows counterpart. At least, not yet


While Cortana does let people set it as the default assistant (setting it to the home button), it's still without the "Hey, Cortana" voice activation feature. Microsoft notes that this is one of the few differences between Cortana on Android devices and Cortana "in her 'native' environment," but additional updates and user feedback will help to further improve the app. For now, people will have to settle for things like task management, setting reminders, searching the web, and tracking flight details.

Cortana for Android's public beta is only available in the U.S, but Microsoft has plans to bring it to other markets in the future. Those interested can grab the beta from the Google Play Store and see how it compares to Google's own assistant, Google Now.