One of the early things that users could do once Cortana became available on the Android platform back in 2015 was set it as the default assistant app on their devices in place of Google Now.
Nearly a year and a half later, Microsoft is at it again.
Google may be taking its sweet time to roll out its own personal assistant, Google Assistant, to everyone but its competitors are not sleeping.
The latest update to Microsoft’s Cortana, brings the virtual assistant to the Android lockscreen, making it easy to access, a privilege that Google’s Assistant currently doesn’t enjoy on a majority of devices since it is still confined to the Allo chat app.
By simply enabling it from the app’s settings, Cortana users are able to add a floating button to their device’s lockscreen from which they can quickly access its information feed by swiping either right or left.
Sadly, unlike what they can do with Google Now at the moment where they can shout voice commands (OK Google) even when the device is locked, Cortana users will have to remain content with the incessant swiping as Cortana’s functionality is restricted due to security concerns (it’s been proven that granting a personal assistant access to the lockscreen is a really bad idea).
