14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently announced that Groove Music apps for iOS and Android would be discontinued later this year, after the company originally retired Groove Music Pass in late 2017.
As noticed by @WinObs, the deadline is December 1, 2018, after which the said clients would no longer work and should be uninstalled, as Microsoft itself recommends in an advisory published rather quietly.
On the other hand, the personal music of users would be stored in OneDrive, and playlists will still be available on devices where the app will live on, including Windows 10.
“On December 1, 2018, the Groove Music iOS and Android apps will be retired. Your personal music files will continue to be available in OneDrive. You can keep listening to those files, and your playlists, with the Windows 10 Groove Music apps on PC, Xbox, or Windows Phone,” Microsoft explains.
App to survive on Windows 10
“Your personal music files will still be available on OneDrive. You can access OneDrive online or through the OneDrive app on any supported device. To keep playing your music and playlists in Groove, use the Windows 10 Groove Music apps on PC, Xbox, or Windows Phone.”
While it’s more or less odd that Microsoft mentions Windows Phone as a supported platform given that mobile itself is no longer a focus for the company, it’s important to note that Groove Music will still exist on Windows 10, even though users obviously have many other options to choose from.
Truth be told, even if Microsoft’s announcement comes out of the blue, it’s not entirely a huge surprise, as Groove Music apps for iPhone and Android have enjoyed very limited success. There’s a good chance almost nobody is going to miss them, especially because on these platforms, there are so many alternatives that users can embrace in the long term.