In mid-August, Microsoft announced the future deprecation of its widely used application, Microsoft Lens, set to officially retire on September 15, 2025. The announcement, originally reported by BleepingComputer, means that Microsoft Lens will be replaced by the new Microsoft 365 Copilot app. This transition has left the users shaken and stirred. They worry about what they’ll lose – the very features that have made Microsoft Lens such a favorite tool since its introduction.
Originally released in 2015 under the original title Office Lens, Microsoft Lens was developed for Windows Phone devices. However, over the years it has continued to change and grow in popularity, surpassing an estimated 92.3 million downloads since January of 2017. The app is currently available for iOS and Android devices. In the past 30 days alone, it has been downloaded more than 322,000 times!
Despite its popularity, Microsoft has decided to phase out Microsoft Lens in favor of the new Microsoft 365 Copilot application. Yet while Copilot embraces these cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities, it’s surprisingly bereft of other features that have characterized the Microsoft Lens app.
Some key accessibility features
At a glance, the app excludes many basic accessibility features. For instance, the read-out-loud function and Immersive Reader integration – both at the core of Microsoft Lens – are missing.
Microsoft Lens will be delisted from the Apple App Store and Google Play on November 15, 2025. That’s why this change is included in the transition plan. Though new users not be able to join the app, current users will continue to use the app’s scanning functions until at least December 15, 2025. After that date, you will no longer be able to do new scans, but all of your previously scanned and downloaded files will still be available on your device.
The decision to retire Microsoft Lens has sparked discussions among its user base, particularly regarding the implications for those who rely on its unique features. As Rick Heath and I wrote last week, countless users have railed against the loss of functionalities that cater to accessibility and ease of use.
