14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently announced that it would discontinue enterprise messaging apps for Windows phones, recommending customers to switch to iPhone and Android for continued support.
The company says starting May 20 this year, Windows Phone apps for Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer, would no longer be supported, which means that all of them would be retired from the Microsoft Store and downloads would not be possible.
On the other hand, Microsoft says customers should switch to iOS and Android because it’s not working on any new feature for Windows phones, and clients on these platforms will still receive updates and improvements.
“While Microsoft continues to support Windows 10 Mobile, we are not focused on building new features for the system. We will continue to invest in the Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Yammer mobile apps for iOS and Android, and also in desktop apps for Windows and Mac,” the company explains.
Just switch to iOS or Android
Microsoft explains that Skype for Business and Yammer apps will continue to work on devices where the apps are already installed, but instead, the company says it “can’t provide any guarantees.” In other words, they might stop working without prior notice, or some features might not work exactly as expected.
On the other hand, the Microsoft Teams app will stop working completely, and devices where it’s already installed will get an error preventing them from connecting.
Instead, Microsoft says, customers can switch from Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile to Android and iOS, or continue using these apps on Windows and Mac. Yammer can also be accessed with the mobile browser, should they want to stick with Windows Phone.
Windows 10 Mobile will continue to receive support until mid-2019 and the platform won’t be getting any new features in the meantime. No new devices are planned either, Microsoft said, and Windows 10 Mobile is currently in maintenance mode.