Microsoft has officially started its beta test of a new Cortana app for iOS. And if you're one of the lucky few to be involved in it, consider yourself part of a fairly exclusive club. According to a blog post over at WareNotice, Apple limits TestFlight-based betas to roughly 2,000 or so people per application, and we figure there are a probably a lot more Microsoft fans looking to play around with the Cortana app than that.
If you're in the beta, you should have received an email earlier this week to give you the good news. If you have now scoured your inbox and come up with nothing, don't fret just yet: It's possible that Microsoft is rolling out invites in waves, and perhaps your time will come soon.
"Your life is not limited to one device, and neither is your digital assistant. Cortana is with you on your Windows 10 PC, tablet, and phone—helping you whenever and wherever you need it. But we also know that there's a choice of mobile devices out there, so we want help from our Windows Insiders to make sure she's a great personal assistant on iOS too," read Microsoft's description in an early-November blog post.
"Cortana's deep integration with Windows means that's where she can really shine. So, while there are some features you'll use on Windows that we don't (yet) support on iOS phones (like saying 'Hey Cortana' to wake her up), we've focused on making Cortana on iOS the perfect companion to your Windows experience."
As TechCrunch notes, those taking part in the iOS Cortana beta are asked to try out a few specific activities within the app: Setting a reminder on a Windows 10 PC and seeing what happens to your iOS device when you do so, using Cortana to schedule meetings and seeing whether the virtual assistant "can help you have meeting [sic] on time consistently," and communicating with Cortana and seeing whether or not the virtual assistant sounds, well, real.
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These goals are a bit more marketing-themed than actually technical, but we don't blame Microsoft for trying to familiarize beta testers who might otherwise not be very Cortana-savvy.
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