Microsoft is temporarily killing off the "Hey Cortana" feature in its Cortana app for Android as it is conflicting with the "OK Google" functionality.
The Redmond-based company rolled out Cortana for Android and iOS initially in the United States and China.
This "Hey Cortana" feature enables users to give Cortana commands simply by saying these words, similar to "OK Google."
Now, Microsoft is pushing out updates on the app, with the removal of "Hey Cortana" feature as part of the tweaks. It seems that Google's very own "OK Google" is part of the trouble.
WinBeta laid out the application's changelog of the latest version, which include:
– Enhanced app stability
– Improved call and text features
– Removed "Hey Cortana" feature for U.S. market
"We've received user feedback that the 'Hey Cortana' feature is conflicting with Android voice search and are temporarily disabling the feature while we evaluate a solution," explained a Microsoft spokesperson to VentureBeat.
What strikes this as odd, though, is that the problem was not discovered during the public beta program for the app way back in August.
On the bright side, the company is only removing the feature "temporarily," which implies that Microsoft is only doing a few tweaks here and there to finally get it to work properly down the road.
Given that the hands-free feature is not available to iOS devices, and considering that it is no longer working on Android handsets, this signifies that you can only use "Hey Cortana" via handsets with Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 operating system, such as the Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL.
Not much is known as to when the comapny is rolling out the hands-free feature again. At any rate, this nifty feature is also going to be released outside of the U.S. and China once the company fully resolves the issue.
Perhaps this is the very reason why companies prefer to release new apps first to a few markets before bringing them to other parts of the globe.
The Cortana app has already received 100,000 to 500,000 installs, which means it has gained enough popularity among Android fans.
In the meantime, earlier this month, the forthcoming major Windows 10 update with the codename "Redstone" was rumored to bring in a more intelligent Cortana. It is reportedly on its way toward Office applications.
This signifies that Cortana might soon be enabled in the Word document, should users need extra help.
As to the release date of this Redstone update, Microsoft has yet to make its official word. What's sure, though, is that it will not be available within the year.
