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Microsoft recently announced that it would extend support for Office apps on Windows 10 for three years after the OS reaches end of support. However, it turns out that the extended period will mainly bring security updates, with users gradually losing access to new features.
According to a support page update, spotted by The Verge, Windows 10 users will stop receiving new Office app features after version 2608.
This version will roll out to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family users by August 2026, to monthly enterprise channel users by Oct. 13, 2026, and to semi-annual enterprise channel users by Jan. 12, 2027.
After these dates, your Office apps will remain on version 2608 and only receive security updates until Oct. 10, 2028, Microsoft says.
This appears to be another attempt by Microsoft to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 11. The support page warns users about the performance and reliability issues that may arise when using Microsoft 365 on Windows 10 after the OS gets phased out in October this year.
It also warns users that if they face issues with Microsoft 365 apps after October, support offered by customer service will be limited. For example, if there's a Microsoft 365 issue specific to Windows 10, the customer support executives will ask you to upgrade to Windows 11. You won't be able to "log a bug or request other product updates," either. And in case you're unable to move to Windows 11, "technical workarounds might be limited or unavailable," Microsoft says.
Microsoft has been persuading users to join Windows 11 for quite some time, with previous attempts including full-screen ads. Despite releasing the OS in 2021, the adoption rate had been slow primarily due to strict hardware requirements. The OS overtook Windows 10 as the most widely used version of Windows just recently.