Just a couple of weeks post the Android and iOS launch of Cortana, Microsoft is pulling off the ‘Hey Cortana’ feature of the Android app, from the US market. Now you ask why ? Well, MS was perhaps unaware of a thing called “Ok Google”, which is precisely the reason why Hey Cortana is getting banished from the overall Cortana experience.
In the latest update pushed by Microsoft on the Play Store, this is what the change log reads (via WinBeta) :
- Improved app stability.
- Enhanced call and text features.
- Removed “Hey Cortana” feature for US market
The issue, which has been continuously reported by multiple Cortana Android users, was the default voice search setting on Android — which was obviously assigned to Google Now. Now when Hey Cortana tries to be your default voice assistant, it screws up your Android’s microphone. This has even resulted in a few cases, where the phone became unusable for making calls as well.
Thus, the Cortana app for Android has been updated as of yesterday, December 20th, and Microsoft — for the benefit of you Androiders — has removed the “Hey, Cortana” feature in the US market.
Makes me wonder, shouldn’t this have been a pre-assumption ?
