Free document scanning app Microsoft Lens is about to be 'killed' - what's worth noting?

Microsoft is scheduled to officially stop supporting Windows 10 this October. The operating system turned 10 last month, but this isn't the only Microsoft veteran about to say goodbye. Another Microsoft application that's even older than the operating system is also preparing to 'shut down'.

Microsoft has officially announced that it will discontinue Microsoft Lens — the once-popular document scanning app. In fact, Lens is even older than Windows 10, having first launched in March 2014 on the Windows Phone platform under the name Office Lens . About a year later, the app was available on Android and iOS.

As of 2021, Office Lens has been renamed to Microsoft Lens . It remains one of the highest-rated free Microsoft apps on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

However, according to the new roadmap, Microsoft Lens will be gradually discontinued from September 15, 2025 and completely discontinued by the end of this year.

Microsoft Lens End of Support Roadmap

1. Mid-September 2025: Begin the end of support process.
2. Mid-October 2025: Stop allowing new downloads on the App Store and Google Play Store.
3. Mid-November 2025: Remove app from app stores.
4. Mid-December 2025: Users will no longer be able to create new scans, but existing files will remain in the MyScans folder without technical support.

As an alternative, Microsoft suggests using the Scan feature in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app , which the company is committed to continuing to invest in and improve. On Android, this feature now supports scanning text directly into Word, tables in Excel, and more. New scans saved to OneDrive will be found in the MyCreations section of the Copilot app.

For Microsoft 365 admins, detailed information can be found in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under the ID MC1131064 .

Kareem Winters

Update 13 August 2025