Microsoft has announced that it will end support for its Office applications, known as Microsoft 365 apps, on Windows 10 later this year. This support cutoff aligns with the end of Windows 10’s support on October 14th, compelling businesses and consumers relying on Microsoft 365 apps to upgrade to Windows 11.
According to Microsoft in a blog post, “Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices.” To continue using Microsoft 365 applications, users will need to make the transition to Windows 11.
Although support will cease for Office apps on Windows 10 in October, this does not imply that the applications will immediately become non-functional. Microsoft has updated a support document stating that the applications will continue to operate as usual after Windows 10 support concludes, though users might experience “performance and reliability issues over time.”
Microsoft is urging users to transition away from Windows 10, branding 2025 as “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” This message was reinforced at CES last week, where the company emphasized that updating an old Windows 10 PC is more crucial this year than purchasing new televisions or smartphones.
Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer at Microsoft, stated, “We believe that one of the most important pieces of technology people will look to refresh in 2025 isn’t the refrigerator, the television or their mobile phone. It will be their Windows 10 PC, and they will move forward with Windows 11,” he remarked.
Currently, Windows 11 adoption lags behind that of Windows 10, with millions of devices unable to upgrade due to Microsoft’s strict hardware requirements. Microsoft has recently confirmed that Windows 11 will not support older hardware, reiterating that the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 is “non-negotiable.” The company is also encouraging Windows 10 users to purchase new PCs via full-screen prompts to facilitate this transition.
As Windows 10 support ends this year, Microsoft is offering Extended Security Updates to consumers for the first time. Consumers will have the option to pay $30 for an additional year of updates, while businesses can purchase up to three years of extended updates.
