Microsoft Lens Retirement 2025: Copilot Migration Timeline and Guidance

Microsoft’s decision to retire the popular Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) mobile scanning app marks a significant change for millions of casual and enterprise users who rely on its fast, reliable capture and OCR workflows — the retirement begins on September 15, 2025, the app will be removed from app stores on November 15, 2025, and the ability to create new scans inside Lens stops on December 15, 2025. (support.microsoft.com) (mc.merill.net)

Background / Overview​

Microsoft Lens launched as Office Lens years ago as a lightweight mobile scanner optimized for quick capture of whiteboards, documents, receipts, business cards and more. Its strength was integration into the Microsoft ecosystem — saving to OneNote, OneDrive and converting images into Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF formats with OCR and image cleanup. Those integrations and the app’s accessibility features made Lens a go‑to tool for students, frontline workers and knowledge workers alike. The company now says it will consolidate scanning capabilities into the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, where it plans to continue investing. (apps.apple.com) (support.microsoft.com)
Industry reporting and Microsoft’s own notices give a clear three-stage timeline:

• Mid‑September 2025: Retirement process begins (September 15, 2025). (mc.merill.net)
• Mid‑November 2025: Microsoft Lens removed from Google Play and the Apple App Store (November 15, 2025). (support.microsoft.com)
• Mid‑December 2025: Creating new scans in Lens will no longer be possible (December 15, 2025). (support.microsoft.com)

Multiple outlets covered the move and confirmed the dates from Microsoft’s support article and Microsoft 365 Message Center advisory; the consolidation is presented as a strategic product rationalization that consolidates utilities into Copilot. (techcrunch.com, mwpro.co.uk)

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Why the change matters (quick summary)​

Microsoft Lens is not a niche tool — it has broad usage and high user satisfaction:

• The Android listing and app trackers report 50,000,000+ installs and an average rating around 4.8/5. (androidrank.org)
• The Apple App Store listing documents ~135K ratings with an average score in the 4.8–4.9 range. (apps.apple.com)

Those numbers mean the retirement affects millions of users across education, SMBs and enterprise. While Microsoft is offering the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app as the recommended migration path, feature parity is incomplete at launch — some of Lens’s distinct conveniences and accessibility integrations are not available in Copilot today. Microsoft explicitly lists feature gaps and local file access caveats in its retirement guidance. (support.microsoft.com)

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Feature comparison: what Lens does today and what Copilot offers​

Core scanning capabilities (what’s preserved)​

• Capture documents, receipts, whiteboards and convert to PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel-friendly formats (via OCR).
• Basic image cleanup: crop, deskew, contrast/lighting adjustments and filters.
• Cloud saving to OneDrive, and integration with Microsoft services for cloud‑saved scans. (apps.apple.com, androidrank.org)

Notable Lens features missing or limited in Copilot today​

Microsoft’s retirement guidance calls out several specific limitations in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app’s scan flow compared with Lens:

• Saving scans directly to OneNote, Word or PowerPoint is not available in Copilot.
• Scanning business cards and saving contact vCards/OneNote business card flows are not supported.
• Read‑out‑loud (text‑to‑speech) and Immersive Reader integration available in Lens are not present in Copilot’s scanning experience at this time.
• Local file migration differences: Copilot can access cloud‑stored Lens scans via MyCreations, but local scans stored only on the device require special permissions (Android) and may not surface automatically on iOS. (support.microsoft.com, prod.support.services.microsoft.com)

Those gaps are material for certain user groups — accessibility users who relied on Immersive Reader and Read‑aloud, OneNote‑centric workflows (students and researchers), and users who scanned business cards into contacts.

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What Microsoft is telling admins and users​

Microsoft frames this as a consolidation and recommends Copilot as the future home for scanning. The official support doc and Microsoft 365 Message Center post advise:

• No mandatory admin action is required, but organizations should notify users and update documentation. (mc.merill.net, support.microsoft.com)
• Users who rely on local-only scans should export or back up important content to OneDrive or another cloud store before December 15, 2025. (support.microsoft.com)
• For Android devices, to surface local Lens scans in Copilot, users must grant All Files Access permission to Copilot. iOS local files may not transfer automatically. (support.microsoft.com)

Microsoft also explicitly lists the Copilot Create → Scan flow and MyCreations folder as the recommended user journey for scanning and accessing cloud-saved captures. (support.microsoft.com)

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Practical migration checklist (for IT teams and power users)​

The phased schedule gives time to plan. Treat the dates below as hard milestones and act now to reduce friction.

• Inventory and identify dependencies
• Scan app usage: who uses Lens, how frequently, and for what workflows (OneNote exports, business cards, accessibility).
• Look for automated processes or shared folders that depend on Lens exports.
• Communicate early and clearly
• Announce the timeline: Sept 15 (retirement begins), Nov 15 (store removal), Dec 15 (new scans disabled).
• Provide user guidance for exporting data and installing Copilot.
• Export and preserve
• Encourage users to export locally stored scans to OneDrive/SharePoint or other managed cloud stores.
• For business-critical scans stored only on devices, create a short how‑to: export → upload → verify.
• Test Copilot workflows
• Validate the Create → Scan flow in Microsoft 365 Copilot for your common use cases.
• Confirm cloud-saved scans appear in MyCreations and determine whether additional permissions (Android: All Files Access) are required for local content.
• Implement workarounds for missing features
• If direct saving to OneNote/Word/PPT is essential, implement a two-step flow: scan → save to OneDrive → use desktop automation or Power Automate to import into the target Office app.
• For accessibility workflows that rely on Immersive Reader or Read‑out‑loud, identify alternate routes (Immersive Reader remains available elsewhere in Microsoft apps) and test them with affected users.
• Update internal documentation and MDM catalogs
• Remove Microsoft Lens from managed app lists after Nov 15, 2025, and replace instructions with Copilot guidance.
• Train helpdesk staff to assist users with the migration and local export processes.

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Data, privacy and compliance implications​

• Cloud vs local storage: Scans saved to OneDrive remain under existing organizational retention, eDiscovery and governance controls. Locally stored scans on devices are a compliance blind spot if not exported before Lens’s capabilities are disabled. Microsoft’s guidance emphasizes exporting local data to managed cloud stores to ensure compliance. (support.microsoft.com)
• Permissions and access: On Android, Copilot needs All Files Access to surface locally saved Lens files; granting broad file access should be weighed against device security policies and least-privilege principles. iOS local files may not be migrated automatically, so manual export steps are safer for compliance. (support.microsoft.com)
• Retention and discovery: Organizations should ensure retention policies target cloud locations (OneDrive/SharePoint). If regulated data is stored locally in Lens and never uploaded, it may be excluded from legal holds or eDiscovery unless proactively preserved.

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Accessibility impact and special‑needs workflows​

Microsoft Lens offered Immersive Reader and Read‑out‑loud options that integrated tightly with captured documents. Those features are explicitly called out as not available in Copilot’s scan experience today, leaving a gap for users who relied on Lens for accessible reading experiences. Organizations must:

• Survey accessibility-dependent users and document their needs.
• Identify alternative paths: export to OneDrive and use Immersive Reader in other Microsoft experiences, or use third‑party OCR + TTS apps where appropriate. (prod.support.services.microsoft.com, support.microsoft.com)

This is not just an inconvenience; it’s an operational risk for any workflows where access to read‑aloud and formatted text is required by policy or accommodation agreements.

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Alternatives if Copilot can’t replace specific Lens features​

Microsoft recommends Copilot, but for certain missing workflows you may need alternatives. Consider these categories and options:

• Full feature parity needs (OneNote/Word direct saves, business card flows)
• Keep Lens installed until Dec 15, 2025 to maintain continuity (you can still view existing scans) and plan a longer migration to a third‑party solution if Copilot does not add the required features soon. (support.microsoft.com)
• Third‑party scanner apps worth evaluating
• Adobe Scan / Adobe Acrobat mobile — robust OCR and export to multiple formats.
• Tiny Scanner — light, fast, good for receipts and simple exports.
• Various mobile scanner apps with cloud exports and API hooks for automation.
• Automation and integration options
• Use Power Automate flows: upload from a cloud folder into OneNote/Word/PPT automatically after scanning to OneDrive.
• Desktop import scripts to ingest PDFs from OneDrive into managed document repositories.

Each option should be validated for security, accessibility and compliance before adoption. Tech press coverage and app ratings confirm users are already evaluating alternatives; the migration window is the right time to test replacements. (tech.yahoo.com, techcrunch.com)

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What to do if you want to keep using Lens longer​

• Keep the app installed on devices: Microsoft states users can access previously created scans as long as the app remains installed even after support ends. That means Lens can continue to serve as a read‑only archive for existing captures. However, creating new scans will stop after Dec 15, 2025. (support.microsoft.com)
• Export key files to cloud storage now to future‑proof access and governance. Do not rely on indefinite local availability of the app or device retention. Device loss, OS updates or accidental uninstallation will risk losing local-only scans.

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Risk analysis — strengths, weaknesses and likely outcomes​

Strengths of Microsoft’s approach​

• Product rationalization reduces maintenance overhead and centralizes investment in one strategic app (Copilot), potentially funding richer AI-driven scanning features in the future. Microsoft’s roadmap rationale is straightforward: consolidate point tools into Copilot. (mc.merill.net)
• For many common scanning needs (OCR, quick PDFs, OneDrive saving) Copilot already provides sufficient capability, and migration should be straightforward for cloud-first users. (support.microsoft.com)

Weaknesses and risks​

• Feature gaps create immediate friction: OneNote direct saves, business card flows, and Immersive Reader support are missing from Copilot’s scanning UI. These are not minor omissions for users who rely on them daily. (support.microsoft.com)
• Local file handling is fragile: automatic migration of locally stored Lens scans is not guaranteed; Android requires broad file permissions and iOS has limitations. This exposes compliance and data loss risk if organizations do not act.
• Accessibility impact: removing integrated Immersive Reader and read‑out‑loud from the scanning experience risks disenfranchising users who depend on these features unless proactive accommodations are made. (prod.support.services.microsoft.com)

Likely outcomes​

• Copilot will absorb most casual users quickly; enterprise migrations will vary by dependence on OneNote and accessibility workflows. Microsoft can iterate quickly in Copilot, so some missing features may reappear — but do not assume parity without validation. IT teams should treat the retirement dates as firm planning anchors.

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Clear, actionable timeline for admins (recommended)​

• Now — August 2025
• Notify users, inventory Lens usage, prioritize critical workflows that must be preserved.
• Start testing Microsoft 365 Copilot’s scan flow for common user scenarios.
• By September 15, 2025
• Retirement process begins; continue communication and finalize export plans. (mc.merill.net)
• By mid‑October to mid‑November 2025
• Prevent new installs (Microsoft will disable new installs by mid‑October and remove Lens from stores by November 15). Ensure managed app catalogs reflect removal dates. (mc.merill.net, support.microsoft.com)
• Before December 15, 2025
• Export local-only scans, migrate critical content to OneDrive/SharePoint, implement automation for import into OneNote/Word if required. After December 15, new scans in Lens will be blocked. (support.microsoft.com)

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Final assessment and recommendations​

Microsoft Lens’s retirement is a classic product consolidation move: sensible from a product‑management and investment perspective, but disruptive in execution. For most cloud-first users, the migration to Microsoft 365 Copilot will be straightforward. For institutions and users that depend on direct OneNote/Word/PowerPoint exports, business card flows, or Immersive Reader/read‑aloud accessibility, the move is materially disruptive and requires a concrete transition plan.
Top priorities for organizations and individual power users:

• Inventory all Lens-dependent workflows now.
• Export locally stored scans to managed cloud storage before December 15, 2025. (support.microsoft.com)
• Test Copilot’s Create → Scan and verify whether permissions or automation are needed to reproduce key workflows. (support.microsoft.com)
• Plan alternate solutions for accessibility and OneNote‑centric needs if Copilot does not gain parity in time. (techcrunch.com)

Microsoft’s published guidance and the Message Center advisory provide definitive dates and migration instructions; treat those dates as planning anchors and execute a pragmatic migration that preserves accessibility, compliance, and productivity. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)

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Conclusion
The phased retirement of Microsoft Lens is real and imminent: September 15 → November 15 → December 15, 2025 are the key milestones. The path forward is clear in principle — move scanning into Microsoft 365 Copilot — but in practice the transition will require deliberate work to preserve specialized workflows, accessibility features and locally stored data. Organizations that inventory usage, export important scans to managed cloud storage, and test Copilot workflows now will be best placed to avoid data loss and service interruptions when Lens’s scanning capabilities are finally turned off. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)

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Source: The Indian Express Microsoft Lens, the popular document scanning app is shutting down on September 15: Here’s what you should know