Microsoft is shutting down the Office Lens app for iOS and Android

Microsoft announced the end of support for Office Lens for iOS and Android. The scanner app will be disabled in 2026 and its functionality will be moved to OneDrive. We analyze the reasons for the decision, the timing of closure and alternatives for users.

Microsoft officially confirms the end of the life cycle of the popular Office Lens mobile application, which has been used as a universal document scanner for almost ten years, writes xrust. The company is betting on consolidating features into OneDrive, moving away from a separate app.

Microsoft is ending support for Office Lens

Microsoft Microsoft has notified users that the Office Lens (now Microsoft Lens) application for iOS and Android will be permanently retired. Support for the service will end on February 9 , and after March 9 the application will completely lose functionality on mobile devices.

The move was part of Microsoft's broader strategy to consolidate services and simplify the ecosystem of mobile products. The company emphasizes that the key functions of Lens will not disappear anywhere, but will be available as part of OneDrive.

Microsoft is bringing Lens functionality to OneDrive

Microsoft's main argument is that there is no need for separate application. All portable scanner tools are now built into OneDrive, which is actively developing as a universal cloud storage and work platform.

What users can do in OneDrive

• Scan documents, receipts and business cards;
• Take photographs of boards and presentations;
• Automatically crop and align images;
• Convert scans to Word and PDF;
• Store and edit files in the cloud.

According to Microsoft, this approach reduces service fragmentation and simplifies the user experience, especially for Microsoft 365 enterprise customers. class=»notranslate»>__GTAG4__

Experts note that the abandonment of Office Lens is a logical continuation of the policy of optimizing the product line. In recent years, Microsoft has already closed or merged several mobile services, relying on “hubs” like OneDrive and Microsoft 365.

“Supporting individual niche applications requires significant resources, while integrating functions into OneDrive allows for faster implementation updates and improve security,” — says cloud services market analyst Jason Wong, commenting on Microsoft’s decision.

Microsoft and history Office Lens

The Office Lens application was first launched in 2015 for iOS and Android, and originally debuted on Windows Phone. It quickly gained popularity due to its deep integration with Word, OneNote and OneDrive.

• 2015 — release of Office Lens;
• 2019 — rebranding to Microsoft Lens;
• 2026 — final closure of the application.

In the mid-2010s, Microsoft actively experimented with mobile products, trying to compete with Google and Apple. Office Lens became one of the most successful examples of that era.

Microsoft and official sources

The company has already published information about closing the application in help sections and notifications for users:

• Official support page: https://support.microsoft.com
• Description of scanning functions in OneDrive: https://www.microsoft.com/onedrive
• Microsoft 365 documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com

As output

Microsoft's decision reflects the general trend of the IT market — the consolidation of services and the abandonment of individual applications in favor of universal platforms. For most users, the transition will be almost imperceptible, but the closure of Office Lens symbolically ends an entire era of Microsoft mobile experimentation.

Xrust Microsoft is closing the Office Lens app for iOS and Android