Microsoft has confirmed that the standalone Microsoft Lens mobile app will be retired in a phased rollout beginning September 15, 2025, with the app removed from app stores by mid‑November and the ability to create new scans disabled after December 15, 2025; Microsoft is directing users to the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app as the replacement for scanning capabilities. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)
Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) began life as Office Lens on Windows Phone in 2014 and expanded to iOS and Android in the mid‑2010s as a lightweight, highly rated document scanner that could convert captured images into PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel files while applying OCR and basic image cleanup. The product was later rebranded to Microsoft Lens in 2021 as part of a refresh that added table extraction, image‑to‑text and other enhancements. (news.microsoft.com, 9to5google.com)
Over the years Microsoft Lens built a large user base thanks to its simplicity and deep integration with OneNote, OneDrive and the Office suite. The app has been installed tens of millions of times on Android alone and has earned very high aggregate ratings on mobile stores — figures that multiple trackers and coverage outlets place in the tens of millions of installs and roughly a 4.8 average rating. These metrics helped make Lens a go‑to for users who wanted a zero‑cost, no‑friction mobile scanning tool. (androidrank.org, androidauthority.com)
Industry coverage and analysts view this move as part of Microsoft’s broader rationalization of standalone utility apps under the Copilot brand and AI‑first product strategy. Several outlets describe Lens’s retirement as one of a string of product retirements and replatformings that align Microsoft’s consumer and business features around Copilot and the 365 ecosystem. (androidauthority.com, techcrunch.com)
At the same time, the move creates immediate operational and accessibility risks because of feature gaps (OneNote/Word direct exports, business card flows, Read Aloud/Immersive Reader) and differences in how local versus cloud‑stored scans are surfaced. Organizations should treat the announced dates—September 15, 2025 (retirement begins), mid‑November 2025 (store removal), and December 15, 2025 (new scans disabled)—as hard planning milestones and execute a measured migration plan that inventories usage, preserves locally stored content, and retrains users on Copilot’s Create → Scan workflows. (mc.merill.net, support.microsoft.com)
For administrators and advanced users, the retirement is less an abrupt removal than a window of opportunity: use the months leading up to December 15, 2025 to rationalize scanning practices, consolidate files in managed cloud storage, and ensure continuity for accessibility and OneNote‑dependent processes. The choice to consolidate the scanning experience into Copilot aligns with Microsoft’s broader AI platform vision — but the practical success of that consolidation will rest on how quickly and transparently Microsoft fills the remaining feature gaps and how effectively organizations plan their migrations. (support.microsoft.com, androidauthority.com)
Conclusion: Microsoft Lens’s retirement is a significant change for millions of users who rely on its instant scanning utility. The transition path offered (Microsoft 365 Copilot) is clear, but the devil is in the details — feature parity, local file handling, and accessibility support must be validated and remediated by IT teams before the December 15, 2025 cutoff for new scans. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)
Source: BornCity Microsoft Lens app is being retired September 15, 2025 | Born's Tech and Windows World
Background
Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) began life as Office Lens on Windows Phone in 2014 and expanded to iOS and Android in the mid‑2010s as a lightweight, highly rated document scanner that could convert captured images into PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel files while applying OCR and basic image cleanup. The product was later rebranded to Microsoft Lens in 2021 as part of a refresh that added table extraction, image‑to‑text and other enhancements. (news.microsoft.com, 9to5google.com)Over the years Microsoft Lens built a large user base thanks to its simplicity and deep integration with OneNote, OneDrive and the Office suite. The app has been installed tens of millions of times on Android alone and has earned very high aggregate ratings on mobile stores — figures that multiple trackers and coverage outlets place in the tens of millions of installs and roughly a 4.8 average rating. These metrics helped make Lens a go‑to for users who wanted a zero‑cost, no‑friction mobile scanning tool. (androidrank.org, androidauthority.com)
The official announcement and timeline
What Microsoft announced
Microsoft published a support article and a Microsoft 365 Message Center notice (MC1131064) that together lay out the retirement plan. The announcement is framed as a phased retirement with a recommended migration path to the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app for scanning and capture needs. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)Timeline (key dates)
- Mid‑September 2025 (September 15, 2025): Retirement process begins — decommissioning planned to start. (mc.merill.net)
- Mid‑October 2025: New installs disabled in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. (mc.merill.net)
- Mid‑November 2025: Microsoft Lens removed from app stores. (support.microsoft.com)
- Mid‑December 2025 (December 15, 2025): Creating new scans stops — users will no longer be able to create new scans inside the Lens app, although existing scans remain viewable while the app is installed. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)
What changes for users and admins
Direct user impact
- Users with the Microsoft Lens app installed will continue to be able to view previously created scans in the app’s MyScans area as long as the app remains installed on the device. Creating new scans from within Lens will be supported only until December 15, 2025. (support.microsoft.com)
- New users or users who remove Lens after the mid‑November removal will no longer be able to install it from the app stores. Microsoft recommends moving scanning workflows into the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. (mc.merill.net)
Admin‑facing guidance
- The Microsoft 365 Message Center message states no admin action is required, but it urges administrators to notify users, update internal documentation, and plan any necessary communications or training to migrate scanning use to Copilot. That is the practical expectation for IT teams. (mc.merill.net)
Why Microsoft is consolidating Lens into Copilot
Microsoft frames this as a consolidation of scanning capabilities into a single, actively developed app — Microsoft 365 Copilot — where they intend to continue investing in new features and improvements. The corporate logic is that Copilot serves as a more strategic hub for AI‑driven experiences and can subsume multiple point tools into one platformed experience. Microsoft’s support page explicitly recommends Copilot’s Create → Scan flow for users moving off Lens. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)Industry coverage and analysts view this move as part of Microsoft’s broader rationalization of standalone utility apps under the Copilot brand and AI‑first product strategy. Several outlets describe Lens’s retirement as one of a string of product retirements and replatformings that align Microsoft’s consumer and business features around Copilot and the 365 ecosystem. (androidauthority.com, techcrunch.com)
Feature parity: what Copilot has and what it lacks
Microsoft’s support article lists features that are supported in Copilot’s scanning experience and those that are not yet available. The two most important points for users and admins are:- Most Lens features are available in Microsoft 365 Copilot’s scanning functionality, including basic document capture, OCR and saving to OneDrive. New scans saved to OneDrive are accessible inside Copilot’s MyCreations area. (support.microsoft.com)
- Some Lens features are not present in Copilot, at least initially. Microsoft lists the following as not available in the Copilot app’s scanning experience:
- Saving scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint
- Scanning business cards to save directly to OneNote
- Read‑out‑loud (text‑to‑speech) and Immersive Reader integration
These gaps mean certain accessibility workflows and OneNote‑centric processes will need special handling during migration. (support.microsoft.com)
Adoption and usage context — why this matters
Microsoft Lens has been widely adopted across consumer and enterprise audiences due to its convenience:- Play Store trackers report 50,000,000+ installs for Microsoft Lens on Android, with nearly a million ratings and an average ranking around 4.8 stars; other counters place lifetime downloads even higher across platforms. These figures underscore the breadth of user reliance on Lens for quick, on‑the‑go scanning. (androidrank.org, androidauthority.com)
Migration checklist for IT teams
The Message Center guidance is sparse on forced actions, but prudent IT planning can eliminate surprises. The list below translates Microsoft’s guidance into a pragmatic migration checklist.- Inventory: Identify teams and users who rely on Microsoft Lens for scanning workflows. Look for OneNote, OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, or local folder integrations.
- Communicate: Send clear notifications that include the timeline (Sept 15 → installs disabled Oct → removal Nov → new scans disabled Dec 15) so users have time to migrate. (mc.merill.net, support.microsoft.com)
- Encourage Copilot adoption: Provide steps for installing Microsoft 365 Copilot and show users how to scan via Create → Scan and where to find MyCreations. (support.microsoft.com)
- Export and preserve local scans: For users who store scans locally in Lens (not in OneDrive), document steps to export or copy files to OneDrive, SharePoint or local backups before removing the app. Microsoft notes local files may not automatically surface in Copilot without granting All Files Access on Android. (support.microsoft.com)
- Alternative flows for missing features: If your users depend on direct OneNote/PowerPoint exports, plan a substitute workflow — for example, scan to OneDrive and then import into OneNote/Word/PowerPoint via desktop automation or Power Automate flows. (support.microsoft.com)
- Accessibility checks: Confirm any users who used Lens’s Read Aloud or Immersive Reader integrations have equivalent tools available (Immersive Reader is available in other Microsoft experiences, but the direct integrated flow might differ). (support.microsoft.com)
- Training and documentation: Provide short how‑to guides and internal FAQ entries with screenshots of Copilot’s Create → Scan flow and where to find older captures under MyCreations. (support.microsoft.com)
Data retention, privacy and compliance considerations
Microsoft’s advisory states that existing scans remain accessible inside the Lens app while it is installed, and that scans saved to OneDrive will be reachable from Copilot’s MyCreations area. However, there are subtle differences between local‑only content and cloud‑synchronized content:- Scans saved to OneDrive or other cloud locations remain under the governance, retention, and discovery controls of those services, which simplifies compliance and eDiscovery. (support.microsoft.com)
- Locally saved scans in Lens are a different matter. Unless users proactively upload them to OneDrive or export them, they may remain isolated on a device. Microsoft’s documentation warns Android users will need to grant Copilot full file access to see some local files, and iOS local files may not be migrated automatically. This presents a potential compliance blind spot if regulated data is stored locally and not backed up. (support.microsoft.com)
- Ensure retention policies are applied to cloud locations where scans will be stored (OneDrive/SharePoint).
- Audit devices for locally stored sensitive scans and enforce export/backups as needed.
- Document and communicate any changes to processing flows that could impact data subject rights, eDiscovery collection, or records retention.
Technical comparison: Lens vs Copilot scanning (practical differences)
- Capture quality and OCR: Both apps use Microsoft’s capture and OCR engines; Copilot’s scanning replicates Lens’s core OCR and table extraction behavior for most document types. However, imaging UI and post‑capture workflows differ, so users accustomed to Lens’s quick export buttons may need to click an extra step or two in Copilot. (support.microsoft.com, androidauthority.com)
- Exports and integrations:
- Lens could save directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint. Copilot currently lacks direct save into those Office apps from the scan UI, requiring a cloud interstitial (e.g., save to OneDrive then open in Word). This is the most concrete functional gap for power users. (support.microsoft.com)
- Business card scanning and OneNote contact import is another Lens convenience not fully matched by Copilot yet. Organizations that digitize contacts via Lens should plan a small process change. (support.microsoft.com)
- Accessibility and reading features: Lens included Read Aloud and Immersive Reader hooks. Copilot may offer broader AI‑driven features, but direct parity is explicitly lacking at announcement time. Accessibility teams should verify individual needs before forcing an app change. (support.microsoft.com)
Risks and downsides
- User disruption: Simple daily tasks (scanning receipts, whiteboards, receipts for expense reporting) often rely on muscle memory; removing Lens will create friction, especially for nontechnical users. Proper communications and small training sessions mitigate this risk. (androidauthority.com)
- Feature gaps: For users who relied on direct OneNote or Word/PowerPoint export, Copilot’s current scanning flow creates extra steps. Until Microsoft patches feature gaps, expect user frustration and potential ad‑hoc workarounds that create compliance or data sprawl risks. (support.microsoft.com, pcworld.com)
- Local file visibility: Local scans not uploaded to cloud storage may be harder to incorporate into Copilot without special permissions. This is a privacy and operational consideration for IT asset management. (support.microsoft.com)
- Dependence on Copilot: Consolidating capabilities into Copilot aligns with Microsoft’s product strategy but increases single‑vendor dependency for mobile productivity. Organizations should weigh whether controller/vendor lock‑in poses strategic risk for their workflows.
Practical recommendations for users
- If you keep Lens installed, export any locally stored scans you need into OneDrive or another managed cloud store before December 15, 2025. Copilot can access cloud‑stored scans via MyCreations; it may not automatically surface local Lens files without extra permissions. (support.microsoft.com)
- Begin using Microsoft 365 Copilot’s scan feature today for routine scanning to build familiarity; collect feedback from users on missing features and route that information to IT for planned process changes. (support.microsoft.com)
- For OneNote‑centric or accessibility workflows, prepare a short decision tree: (A) continue to use Lens until the last date; (B) export to OneDrive and use Copilot; or (C) adopt a third‑party scanner with the required export integrations if Copilot cannot meet needs.
What to watch next
- Feature parity updates: Microsoft plans to continue investing in Copilot, so some of the missing features may be added before or after Lens is removed. Organizations should track Microsoft 365 roadmap updates and Message Center posts for patch releases and capability additions. (mc.merill.net)
- Store listings and app removal: The phased removal across October–November means administrators should expect cascaded effects in mobile device management (MDM) inventory and app deployment systems; update managed app catalogs accordingly. (support.microsoft.com)
- Community feedback and reporting: Given Lens’s popularity, user and accessibility communities will likely surface edge‑case workflows. IT and product teams should monitor such feedback and plan mitigations or escalate feature requests through Microsoft’s support/feedback channels. (androidauthority.com)
Final assessment
Microsoft’s decision to retire Microsoft Lens and fold scanning into the Microsoft 365 Copilot app is tidy from a product‑management perspective: it reduces the number of standalone utilities Microsoft must maintain and channels investment into a single strategic app. For many users, Copilot will absorb Lens’s core scanning needs while enabling future AI enhancements that may improve capture, classification, and automation.At the same time, the move creates immediate operational and accessibility risks because of feature gaps (OneNote/Word direct exports, business card flows, Read Aloud/Immersive Reader) and differences in how local versus cloud‑stored scans are surfaced. Organizations should treat the announced dates—September 15, 2025 (retirement begins), mid‑November 2025 (store removal), and December 15, 2025 (new scans disabled)—as hard planning milestones and execute a measured migration plan that inventories usage, preserves locally stored content, and retrains users on Copilot’s Create → Scan workflows. (mc.merill.net, support.microsoft.com)
For administrators and advanced users, the retirement is less an abrupt removal than a window of opportunity: use the months leading up to December 15, 2025 to rationalize scanning practices, consolidate files in managed cloud storage, and ensure continuity for accessibility and OneNote‑dependent processes. The choice to consolidate the scanning experience into Copilot aligns with Microsoft’s broader AI platform vision — but the practical success of that consolidation will rest on how quickly and transparently Microsoft fills the remaining feature gaps and how effectively organizations plan their migrations. (support.microsoft.com, androidauthority.com)
Conclusion: Microsoft Lens’s retirement is a significant change for millions of users who rely on its instant scanning utility. The transition path offered (Microsoft 365 Copilot) is clear, but the devil is in the details — feature parity, local file handling, and accessibility support must be validated and remediated by IT teams before the December 15, 2025 cutoff for new scans. (support.microsoft.com, mc.merill.net)
Source: BornCity Microsoft Lens app is being retired September 15, 2025 | Born's Tech and Windows World
