- Microsoft Lens app will probably be retired from app shops after a decade
- Customers can nonetheless scan paperwork with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
- Some options, together with direct app entry, will not be obtainable in Copilot
Microsoft has confirmed it will likely be pulling its cellular doc scanning app, which previously launched as Workplace Lens in 2015, with customers given a collection of dates to concentrate on.
From September 15 2025, the app will probably be retired from iOS and Android units, and faraway from the respective app shops two months later. On the third month – December 15 – scanning throughout the pre-installed app will probably be disabled, however current scans will nonetheless stay accessible.
Recognized for charging no subscription charges and its easy, dependable performance, Microsoft Lens has been a useful device for changing printed or handwritten notes into PDFs and different core file sorts.
Farewell Microsoft Lens
Microsoft counts over 92 million lifetime downloads for its Lens app, which is extremely rated throughout each iOS and Android platforms, and whereas there is a substitute already obtainable, it would not fairly ship the identical options as its predecessor.
The corporate is now pointing customers in direction of Microsoft 365 Copilot for scanning, nevertheless it lacks some Lens capabilities, corresponding to direct saving to OneNote, Phrase and PowerPoint.
It additionally lacks enterprise card scanning to OneNote, read-out-loud performance and Immersive Reader integration.
Microsoft’s help web page explains how customers can entry earlier scanned information from Lens throughout the Copilot app within the hope that it might probably entice them emigrate, however brazenly admitting some options will not be made obtainable instantly raises questions on whether or not they’ll ever get added.
This is not the primary time that Microsoft has deprecated a well-liked app or characteristic – in November 2024, Paint 3D was faraway from the Microsoft Retailer, password autofill in Microsoft Authenticator was axed not too long ago, and from October 2026, Writer will now not type a part of the Microsoft 365 suite.
