Microsoft extends security updates for Microsoft 365 on Windows 10

Microsoft is set to shelve Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, when it reaches its end of its support date. The company had announced in January that it would discontinue Microsoft 365 apps for the legacy operating system.

This meant that users who are subscribed to Microsoft 365 would not be able to access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote etc., on Windows 10. After feedback from users, Microsoft seems to have reconsidered its plans to retire the apps for Windows 10.

A support document that was spotted by Neowin indicates that "Microsoft 365 Apps running on Windows 10 will continue to receive security updates for three years after Windows 10 end of support."

The support page links to another document which warns users that though the apps will continue to work after Windows 10 reaches its end of support, it is not advisable to use them on an unsupported operating system. Microsoft says that it could lead to a degraded experience that can cause performance and reliability issues. It is advising users to switch to Windows 11. The decision to extend security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 seems to have been made to help users stay secure as they switch to Windows 11. Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 will receive security updates until October 10, 2028.

However, this extension could likely have been announced to allow Enterprise users to continue using the apps on their workstations. Microsoft plans to retire Office 2016 and Office 2019 in October 2025.

Even as the end of support date for Windows 10 draws near, millions of users will be stuck on it because their computer does not meet the system requirements for upgrading to Windows 11. Users with older computers should consider migrating to Linux. A project called "End of 10", which is backed by KDE, has been trying to help Windows 10 users in making the switch to Linux.