Microsoft’s recent announcement to retire its popular mobile application, Microsoft Lens. This decision is part of a larger strategy by the tech giant to make room for its younger alternative, Microsoft 365 Copilot. BleepingComputer was the first to cover the shutdown, which is set to begin on September 15, 2025. This decision marks the end of an era for a widely appreciated app. Since its launch as Office Lens in 2015, it’s grown to be one of the world leaders in document scanning.
Note that Microsoft Lens was initially built for Windows Phone devices. Since then, beginning in January 2017, it has skyrocketed, recently amassing a staggering 92.3 million downloads. In only the last 30 days, that popularity has skyrocketed. It scored more than 322,000 downloads on the Apple App Store and Google Play combined! Users have been impressed by its ease of use, including functionality such as read-out-loud and Immersive Reader integration which have made it especially accessible.
With the advent of Microsoft 365 Copilot, though, it’s uncertain what the future of all these features will be. With its generative AI integration, Copilot has the potential to dramatically increase productivity. It’s currently missing almost all of the must-have features that users have come to rely on in Microsoft lens. The new app is missing key accessibility features. Features such as read-out-loud and Immersive Reader functions, which help with reading, comprehension, and speech, are critical for millions of users.
Microsoft Lens will be completely unavailable from the Apple App Store and Google Play after November 15, 2025. This move follows our action to join the retirement process for that app. Current users of the platform can use its passport scanning capabilities until December 15, 2025. You’ll be able to review all your past scans too—as long as the app is still installed on your device. After October 2023 you will not be able to run any new scans.
During its lifetime, Microsoft Lens has set itself apart by never requiring users to pay extra costs or use a subscription service. This third aspect is what makes the initiative so popular and widely adopted in their use. The company has made it clear that it’s changing its focus to embed AI across its products. User acceptance to the limitations of Microsoft 365 Copilot is still a big question mark.