Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant is now in version 3.0, and along with some new features, it’s gotten a visual overhaul on iOS.
If you use other Microsoft products and software, Cortana has been updated to work better with Teams, Skype, To-do lists and more.
Cortana itself has also received an update to make it more conversational. Besides the design refresh, users can now manage Cortana-enabled device like Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Headphones.
Visually, the new update pairs things back to a single screen called ‘Upcoming.’
For me, the screen shows the current weather, but if you use any apps that integrate with Cortana, their context will be shown here as well.
In the app’s settings, it’s possible to add some more context like a home and work address to help with traffic updates, as well as add news preferences and link services like Gmail or Office 365.
Adding this information should populate your main screen with more useful information, but Cortana only shows it to you when it thinks you need it.
Users also have the ability to either talk or type to the digital assistant.
Finally, hidden away in the side-menu is a feature that allows you to schedule reminders using Cortana.
Ideally, Microsoft has figured out how to stop Cortana from going rampant like in Halo, so this new update should help keep the digital assistant relevant for a few more years.
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