Microsoft has confirmed that OneNote for Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, after which the app will become read‑only and will no longer receive updates, fixes, or sync functionality — Microsoft is directing all users to migrate to the unified OneNote on Windows (the desktop Store/Win32 app) as the single supported client going forward.
OneNote’s history on Windows is messy by design: originally a standalone Office product, it later diverged into two main Windows variants — the UWP‑based OneNote for Windows 10 (the “Windows 10 app”) and the traditional desktop/Office version now branded OneNote on Windows. Over the past few years Microsoft has signalled a consolidation, moving feature development to a single app and gradually deprecating the UWP client.
The decision to retire OneNote for Windows 10 comes in the wider context of several Microsoft lifecycle changes clustered around mid‑October 2025. Windows 10 itself reaches its end of support on October 14, 2025, and support for older perpetual Office versions (Office 2016 and Office 2019) also ends on the same date. Microsoft’s stated rationale is consolidation: concentrating resources on the modern OneNote application allows faster feature delivery (including Copilot integrations), improved sync, and longer‑term supportability.
This move is not a surprise for long‑term administrators and educators: OneNote for Windows 10 has been showing deprecation notices inside the app for months, and organizations have been given migration guidance and tools to ease the transition. Still, the practical outcome is stark — on October 14 the Windows 10 app will stop accepting edits or syncing new content.
In short: ensure every notebook is in the cloud, install the supported OneNote on Windows app, and treat October 14 as a hard cutover for the UWP client. The new app brings features and AI that will be useful — but those benefits are only realized if the migration is handled methodically, with backups and user support in place.
Source: theregister.com OneNote for Windows 10 support ends Oct 14
OneNote’s history on Windows is messy by design: originally a standalone Office product, it later diverged into two main Windows variants — the UWP‑based OneNote for Windows 10 (the “Windows 10 app”) and the traditional desktop/Office version now branded OneNote on Windows. Over the past few years Microsoft has signalled a consolidation, moving feature development to a single app and gradually deprecating the UWP client.The decision to retire OneNote for Windows 10 comes in the wider context of several Microsoft lifecycle changes clustered around mid‑October 2025. Windows 10 itself reaches its end of support on October 14, 2025, and support for older perpetual Office versions (Office 2016 and Office 2019) also ends on the same date. Microsoft’s stated rationale is consolidation: concentrating resources on the modern OneNote application allows faster feature delivery (including Copilot integrations), improved sync, and longer‑term supportability.
This move is not a surprise for long‑term administrators and educators: OneNote for Windows 10 has been showing deprecation notices inside the app for months, and organizations have been given migration guidance and tools to ease the transition. Still, the practical outcome is stark — on October 14 the Windows 10 app will stop accepting edits or syncing new content.
What Microsoft announced (the essentials)
- Announcement date: Microsoft published formal guidance in late August 2025, clearly setting October 14, 2025 as the end‑of‑support date for OneNote for Windows 10.
- Behaviour after October 14, 2025: The app will become read‑only. Users can view existing notes, but cannot edit or sync them from that client. No further updates, bug fixes, or security patches will be issued for that app.
- Target app: Microsoft is consolidating development into the OneNote on Windows app (the modern desktop/Store app). This is the supported client for Windows going forward and will be the vehicle for future features such as Copilot‑powered note generation and other AI enhancements.
- Migration tooling and guidance: Microsoft has supplied user‑facing migration prompts inside the UWP app (an in‑app migration banner), store availability for the newer OneNote app, and enterprise migration guidance (including a sample migration script and deployment documentation).
- Enterprise note: Windows 10 and some Office products also reach lifecycle milestones on October 14; organizations should plan migrations holistically, not just the OneNote client change.
Who is affected
- Individual users (consumer and personal accounts): Anyone still using the OneNote for Windows 10 app on a device will be able to view notes after the date but will lose edit/sync capabilities in that client. Personal notebooks stored in OneDrive that are fully synced will open normally in the new OneNote app if you sign in there.
- Education: Teachers and students using OneNote for Windows 10 — especially Class Notebook and other education integrations — must migrate before October 14 to preserve editing workflows. Microsoft has education‑specific migration guidance.
- Enterprises and IT admins: Organizations with fleets of Windows 10 machines should treat this as a scheduled deprecation: plan migration, catch unsynced local notebooks, update deployment/manifests, and test integrations with other systems (Teams, SharePoint, LMS).
- Windows 10 stragglers: Even if a device remains on Windows 10 (which itself reaches end of support on October 14, 2025), OneNote for Windows 10 will still be retired. Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) apply to the OS, not to the deprecated OneNote UWP client — the app itself will be retired regardless of ESU status.
What will actually change on October 14, 2025
- The OneNote for Windows 10 client will no longer accept edits or perform sync operations.
- The in‑app migration invitation will direct users to the OneNote on Windows app; that app remains fully supported and will continue to receive feature and security updates.
- Shared notebooks and cloud‑hosted pages will continue to be available from other supported OneNote clients (OneNote on Windows, OneNote for Mac, OneNote for iOS/Android, and OneNote for the web).
- Any notebooks that were not fully synced to OneDrive/SharePoint prior to retirement risk being inaccessible for new edits unless recovered via local backups or exported content.
Technical notes: the practical differences between the apps
- Sync engine: Historically the UWP OneNote for Windows 10 used a different sync behavior from the desktop Win32 OneNote. In recent updates Microsoft has improved the sync experience in the desktop OneNote; migration documentation stresses ensuring notebooks are fully synced to cloud storage (OneDrive or SharePoint) before switching.
- Feature parity: Not every single feature from the Windows 10 UWP client maps 1:1 to the desktop OneNote immediately. Microsoft has worked to move the most used features across, and is shipping additional capabilities (ink improvements, meeting details, Loop components, and Copilot features) on the desktop client.
- Storage and file formats: Notebooks stored in OneDrive and SharePoint will carry over seamlessly. Local notebooks stored solely on device or using legacy local .one backups require explicit attention: export, backup, and test recovery on the new client.
- Add‑ins and integrations: Any third‑party integrations specifically built for UWP may need to be reworked for the desktop client. Administrators should inventory custom add‑ins and automation tied to the Windows 10 app.
Migration: step‑by‑step guidance for individuals
- Confirm app and data state today
- Open OneNote for Windows 10 and confirm the app shows the migration banner and sync status.
- For every notebook, right‑click (or use the notebook menu) and choose Sync This Notebook to force a full sync. Verify the notebook status shows “Up to date.”
- Back up local content
- If you keep local-only notebooks or use OneNote offline with unsynced content, export a copy. Use the app’s File > Export / Open Backups features to create a backup copy and save it in a safe location (external drive or cloud).
- If the app does not present a straightforward export option for a particular notebook, open the notebook and use OneNote’s backup folder or copy out pages to a PDF or .one package where possible.
- Follow the migration banner
- Use the in‑app migration ribbon/“Switch now” button to be guided to the new OneNote on Windows app in the Microsoft Store. The banner aims to steer users to the correct, supported app and should automatically surface your cloud notebooks once you sign in.
- Install and verify in OneNote on Windows
- Install OneNote on Windows from the Microsoft Store and sign in with the same Microsoft account or org account. Confirm your notebooks appear and that sections/pages are intact.
- If you used backups, test recovery via File > Open Backups inside the new OneNote app.
- Update shortcuts and training
- Replace desktop/taskbar shortcuts to the deprecated app. Spend a few minutes learning the differences in layout and any new features; Microsoft’s new app includes modern UX tweaks and performance improvements.
Enterprise migration checklist (for IT administrators)
- Inventory: Identify all devices that still have OneNote for Windows 10 installed and flag users who frequently use it. Inventory notebooks that exist only locally on devices.
- Communication plan: Issue an explicit migration notice with absolute dates (announcement date, EoS: October 14, 2025). Provide step‑by‑step user instructions and training material.
- Force sync & capture: Deploy scripts or policies to force a sync of all local notebooks to OneDrive/SharePoint. Microsoft provides a sample migration script to assist in detecting unsynced data and exporting it.
- Automated migration: Use the in‑app migration banner as the user funnel, but for mass migrations consider using deployment tools (Intune, SCCM) to install the supported OneNote on Windows app and disable or remove the UWP client after migration windows.
- Backups and recovery: Ensure backups exist for local-only notebooks. Test restore procedures on a small pilot before wide rollout.
- Integration testing: Validate integrations with Teams, SharePoint, LMS, and educational tools. Confirm that any macros, workflows, or third‑party connectors operate correctly with the desktop app.
- Compliance and DLP: Review Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies and Copilot/AI governance settings for your tenancy; migrating to the new OneNote may enable features that interact with Microsoft 365 services differently.
- Helpdesk readiness: Prepare knowledge base articles and scripts for helpdesk staff to handle user questions about moving content, accessing Class Notebooks, and restoring local backups.
Risks, pitfalls, and what can go wrong
- Unsynced local notebooks: The biggest single risk is local notebook data that has not been synced to OneDrive/SharePoint. Once the UWP client becomes read‑only, unsynced edits may be trapped on devices unless exported or backed up beforehand.
- User disruption and support load: The timing — simultaneous end of support for Windows 10 and several Office products — raises the chance of simultaneous issues. Expect elevated helpdesk volume and end‑user confusion as users discover their editing client no longer functions.
- Feature regressions or workflow breaks: Some power users may prefer the Windows 10 app for certain behaviors (quick ink handling, a particular UI). IT teams should be ready to document differences and walk users through replacements or workarounds.
- Third‑party integrations and add‑ins: UWP‑specific integrations may stop working and require redevelopment or replacement.
- Policy/compliance gaps with Copilot: The migration brings users closer to AI integrations in OneNote (Copilot Notebooks and Copilot‑powered note generation). Administrators must verify governance controls, ensure appropriate tenant settings, and confirm compliance with organizational or regulatory rules for content processed by Copilot features.
- Timing traps for older Office voice features: Separately, Microsoft is retiring backend support for several voice features (Dictation, Transcription, Read Aloud) in older Office clients in early 2026 unless clients are updated to a minimum build. This creates a nearby deadline that can compound migration urgency: ensure Office client versions meet Microsoft’s required minimum if your workflows depend on those voice features.
Best practices and hard rules to follow now
- Do not wait until the last week. Execute migration in a phased plan with pilots, broad deployment, and a post‑migration support window.
- Force a sync and confirm cloud copy for every notebook. The golden rule: if it’s not in the cloud, it’s at risk. Use automated sync checks for fleet devices where possible.
- Backup local notebooks explicitly. Export .one backups or PDF copies and store them off‑device before removing or disabling the UWP client.
- Push the supported OneNote on Windows app via your management tooling. Preinstall, sign‑in, and verify access before deprecating the old client.
- Train users on the differences and new features. Short screencasts or a one‑pager highlighting where to find ink tools, page export, and how to use Copilot features will reduce support calls.
- Audit third‑party add‑ins and integrations. If any integrations are critical, test them against the desktop app and arrange alternatives if needed.
- Review Copilot, DLP, and retention settings. If your organization will enable Copilot capabilities in OneNote, ensure that tenant‑level data handling, retention, and privacy settings match compliance requirements.
- Maintain a rollback strategy for a narrow window. If a migration step causes widespread user issues, have a tested rollback that allows users to continue work while you troubleshoot.
What the consolidation enables — and why Microsoft insists this is better
Consolidating to a single supported OneNote app simplifies development and support. Microsoft’s stated benefits include:- Faster feature delivery — focusing on one codebase enables quicker rollouts and consistent UX.
- Improved security and supportability — the desktop/Win32 Store app receives regular updates, security fixes, and performance improvements.
- AI and Copilot integration — the OneNote on Windows app is the primary target for upcoming AI features such as Copilot Notebooks and automated note generation. These features are being positioned as core productivity enhancers that rely on backend cloud services and tighter Microsoft 365 integration.
Special considerations for education
- Class Notebook and assignments: Education customers should use Microsoft’s education migration guidance and test Class Notebook behavior after migration.
- Student devices and lab machines: Many shared or managed devices in schools may still be running Windows 10. Confirm that deployment scripts and image updates push the new OneNote and that local notebooks used for assessments are safely migrated.
- Teacher training: Provide concise guides to teachers showing where to find old features and how to use the OneNote desktop app for classroom workflows.
Final analysis and recommendation
Microsoft’s end of support for OneNote for Windows 10 is a clear, scheduled lifecycle event tied to a broader push toward consolidation and AI‑enabled features. The platform shift simplifies Microsoft’s product portfolio and unlocks Copilot‑led capabilities, but it also creates a time‑sensitive migration task that administrators and individual users must treat seriously.- For individuals: Immediately confirm your notebooks are fully synced to OneDrive or SharePoint and install the supported OneNote on Windows app. Back up any local-only notebooks before the October 14 deadline.
- For IT administrators: Treat this as part of your October 2025 lifecycle work. Audit devices, force syncs, deploy the new client, test integrations, and prepare helpdesk resources. Pay special attention to unsynced local data and to Copilot/data governance settings that may be enabled once users adopt the new client.
- For organizations with special compliance or technical needs: Validate that Copilot and AI features meet regulatory constraints before enabling them tenant‑wide. If voice and accessibility features are critical, ensure Office clients meet Microsoft’s minimum build requirements for continued service into 2026.
In short: ensure every notebook is in the cloud, install the supported OneNote on Windows app, and treat October 14 as a hard cutover for the UWP client. The new app brings features and AI that will be useful — but those benefits are only realized if the migration is handled methodically, with backups and user support in place.
Source: theregister.com OneNote for Windows 10 support ends Oct 14