14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 Mobile will receive its last updates in just a few days, so Microsoft is now making the final plans to leave the entire platform behind once and for all.
In an announcement this week, Microsoft reveals that Office apps for Windows 10 Mobile will be retired in January 21, which means that Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote wouldn’t get any security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support, and online technical content updates after this date.
Office apps will continue to work after Windows 10 Mobile reaches the end-of-support next week, but Microsoft emphasizes that no security updates would be shipped.
On the other hand, Office apps will be completely pulled in January 2021, and the download links will be removed. This means that only devices where they are installed at the time of the retirement date would be able to use Office.
Next step: moving to Android or iPhone
The company recommends everyone to switch to Android and iOS where Office apps continue to receiving updates at a regular pace.
“Because of the lack of security updates, we strongly recommend that if you wish to use Office on a phone you transition to the latest Microsoft Office apps on an iOS or Android phone. Not only will you find Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote apps in the iOS and Android app stores, you will also find new innovations such as the Office app which provides a simple, integrated experience with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all in one app with all the mobile features you already know and use,” Microsoft says.
Windows 10 Mobile has been in a dormant state for a couple of years already, so this month’s end-of-support date is more of a formality. The majority of users have already migrated to Android and iOS, so few people are likely to be impacted by these retirement dates.