Microsoft removes ‘Hey Cortana’ feature from Android app

A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft released Cortana for iOS and Android to the public, creating its own alternative to Siri and Google Now. But an update to the app released today removed one of the app’s most prominent features on Android: ‘Hey Cortana’ detection.

Previously, you could utter ‘Hey Cortana’ to pull up the voice assistant from within any app, effectively serving as a replacement for the ‘OK Google’ feature on most Android phones (there’s no hotword detection on iOS, as it’s against Apple’s rules).

Unfortunately, some users have experienced problems upon activating the feature – including malfunctioning microphones across apps and breaking Google’s own feature – leading the company to simply remove it from the US market in its latest build on the Play Store.

We haven’t been able to replicate the issue, but it seems Microsoft chose to be safe rather than sorry. We’ve contacted Microsoft for more information and will update this post if we hear back.

➤ Hey Cortana feature removed from Android app in US Market [WinBeta]