Microsoft has announced to bring Cortana-enabled voice capabilities to its Outlook mobile app which will help users write emails, schedule meetings and search.
Microsoft Outlook for iOS Gets Voice Dictation for Emails, Scheduling Meetings; Android Support Coming Soon
The voice feature can also be used to search for content on the Outlook mobile app. By Satvik Khare | Updated: 9 June 2021 18:00 IST
Microsoft Outlook will use Cortana along with AI to make speech-to-text easier to use
Highlights
Outlook will take help from Microsoft Graph to make dictation easier
The voice features are coming soon to Android
Microsoft Outlook will now let users dictate emails and schedule meetings using voice commands. The new voice features will first arrive on Outlook for iOS. And Microsoft says the features will be coming soon to Outlook for Android as well. Microsoft will employ the use of its virtual assistant Cortana to help users navigate the Outlook app on the mobile platforms. The dictation abilities were previously only available on the Microsoft Outlook desktop app.
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Cortana is Microsoft s virtual assistant available for use across various devices and Microsoft 365 s suite of services and products.
To use Cortana, you must have the AI-powered assistant enabled through your Microsoft account and on relevant devices and services before saying the wake phrase Hey Cortana, followed by a prompt.
Cortana s current iteration is geared towards productivity, focusing predominantly on saving you time and increasing your focus with tools like Briefing emails and Play My Emails.
Microsoft s Cortana is a cloud-based personal assistant that operates outside the realm of standard voice-enabled AI.
Cortana doesn t just understand voice commands and carry out tasks but is integrated for use across Microsoft s 365 suite of products and all Windows 10 operating systems, version 2004 and later.
Published: April 1, 2021 3:55 PM IST
Do you remember Cortana? No, not the wonder voice from the Halo series; we are discussing the quirky voice assistant that comes alive whenever you boot up a new Windows 10 machine. If you loved Cortana and its services on your phone, there’s some sad news. Microsoft has pulled the plug off on Cortana for iOS and Android devices, without giving any major reasons for the same. Also Read - Microsoft will soon allow all Xbox users to play free-to-play multiplayer games without a Gold membership
The Cortana voice assistant app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is no more available to download. Sadly, we can’t comment on Cortana’s functionality after this update as none of our devices had the Cortana app installed prior to this. However, Windows 10 will continue to feature Cortana as the native voice assistant of the OS. Also Read - Xbox Live is now Xbox Network and
Microsoft retires Cortana app for iOS and Android
The app s demise wasn t exactly a shock. Listen - 01:13
Bye bye, Cortana on Android and iOS. Nate Ralph/CNET
Microsoft officially put the Cortana app for iOS and Android out to pasture on Wednesday, announcing the end of support for the mobile apps, effective immediately. Reminders and lists created by Cortana users will no longer be accessible through the mobile app, but they still can be used on the Windows 10 Cortana app, Microsoft said in a Microsoft support page.
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