Microsoft Cortana makes its official debut on Android and iOS

Cortana has arrived on Android and iOS. Photo: Microsoft

Cortana has arrived on Android and iOS. Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft Cortana is now officially available on Android and iOS following its beta run. The digital assistant, which has long been baked into Windows Phone and now Windows 10, hopes to compete with Siri and Google Now for a place on your device.

Cortana isn’t too dissimilar to those others, but its close ties to Windows 10 for the desktop may make it a better option for some.

Users can create reminders, events, and notes and Cortana will sync them across Windows devices so that they’re always available when you need them. This means you can set a reminder on your PC, and it will popup on your iPhone when it’s due.

Cortana can also sync things like contacts, interests, and more — and fetch information, sports scores, weather forecasts, and flight data. It can track packages, send text messages and emails, and even tell you jokes.

Microsoft has also teamed up with Cyanogen to integrate the assistant into Cyanogen OS, so future builds will come with Cortana pre-installed. All other Android users, and those with an iPhone, can download the Cortana app by following the links below.

Note that Cortana is currently only available to users in the U.S. and China.