A new beta of Microsoft Cortana, the personal assistant AI from the Redmond company, is out for Android and with it comes a pretty nice new feature. In the beta, you can allow Cortana to have access to your Lock Screen. Why is that a big deal? You could ask Cortana for information without having to actually unlock your phone. It appears to function in nearly an identical way to Google Assistant in the Google Pixel Launcher or the Google Now Launcher.
Cortana, the AI character from the Halo series, is perhaps the most forgotten of the AI assistance out there, behind Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. But it is a solid performer and is integrated into Windows 10 and in Windows 10 Phone.
Keep in mind that this is the beta build of Cortana and not the main production version. That means it could have bugs and there are some things that you may not like about it. For example, it
Cortana for Android
can access all of your data right now. So, in theory, someone could pick up your phone and ask Cortana about your schedule or other sensitive information and have it given to them. Right now there is no way to stop this from happening but again, it’s beta. Use at your own risk.
If you want to sign up for the Cortana beta you can do so here.
