In August last year, we reported on Microsoft’s plan to shutter Microsoft Lens (previously known as Office Lens). The app, which is essentially a PDF scanner, has mostly been proven to be redundant thanks to scanning capabilities built right into modern smartphone operating systems.
That’s precisely why Microsoft decided that it would delist the app from the two major app stores in November last year, followed by a mid-December service cutoff.
We’re 2 weeks into 2026, and the app is somehow still hanging on, but don’t let that fool you.
Even though Lens got a stay of execution, Microsoft still wants to shutter the app, and it has made that clear on a support page.
The Microsoft Lens app will be retired from iOS and Android devices starting January 9, 2026, and will no longer be supported after February 9.
According to the tech giant, users will be able to continue scanning documents via the app (if they already have it installed) up until March 9, 2026. “After that, you will not be able to create new scans, but you will still be able to access your previous scans if the app remains installed on your device,” indicates Microsoft (via Android Authority).
This is the same phase out pattern as last year’s announcement, albeit with new dates.
It’s worth noting that even though the support page says that the app will be “retired from iOS and Android devices starting January 9, 2026,” that doesn’t mean that the app was removed from the two respective app stores then. Microsoft Lens will be removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store on February 9, 2026.
In the absence of Lens, you can make use of your device’s native scanner, or use alternative apps like Adobe Scan, CamScanner, Abbyy FineReader PDF, Genius Scan, and akin.
