Cortana for Android adds lock screen voice control, expands to Australia

Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, is gaining more features and a new market for its Android edition. The company revealed today that Cortana can now be interacted with on an Android lock screen, allowing users to ask it questions and set reminders without having to unlock the smartphone. Cortana was available on the lock screen in a previous update so users could check items like the news, weather or their schedule, but this new version expands its functions to include support for actual voice commands.

In addition, Cortana for Android has received a new user interface to quickly offer a look into your daily schedule. They will include items like current commute times and upcoming reminders. Users can also quickly add new calendar events and reminders via Cortana.

Finally, Cortana for both Android and iOS is officially available in Australia for the first time. The digital assistant first launched for Android in the US and China in December 2015, and it only launched in the UK just a few months ago in December 2016. There’s no word on which markets will be next in Cortana’s slow expansion.

How do you feel about Cortana adding the ability to take questions via a user’s Android touch screen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!