Microsoft has confirmed that the OneNote for Windows 10 app will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, after which the UWP “OneNote for Windows 10” client will switch to a read‑only state and will no longer receive updates, fixes, or sync services.
Microsoft’s OneNote story on Windows has been fragmented for years: a modern UWP app shipped with Windows 10, a long‑lived desktop client historically called OneNote 2016 (now simply “OneNote” or “OneNote on Windows”), plus web and mobile variants. That fragmentation created confusion for consumers, educators, and IT administrators about which client to use and which features would be supported going forward. Microsoft’s decision to consolidate development onto the desktop OneNote client aims to simplify that landscape, but it also imposes a hard migration deadline on users who still rely on the UWP app.
The October 14, 2025 date is part of a broader Microsoft lifecycle calendar: Windows 10 itself and several Office/Microsoft 365 components share the same lifecycle endpoint. The timing means organizations must coordinate device, app, and compliance plans across multiple concurrent end‑of‑support events.
Microsoft’s consolidation simplifies the future direction of OneNote and strengthens enterprise feature parity, but the transition will demand deliberate action to avoid preventable data loss and disruption. The safe course—verify syncs, adopt the desktop OneNote, and coordinate migrations with any concurrent Windows 10 or Office lifecycle plans—will minimize friction and preserve access to critical notes and collaborations.
Source: The Tech Outlook OneNote for Windows 10 will reach End of Support from 14th October - The Tech Outlook
Microsoft’s OneNote story on Windows has been fragmented for years: a modern UWP app shipped with Windows 10, a long‑lived desktop client historically called OneNote 2016 (now simply “OneNote” or “OneNote on Windows”), plus web and mobile variants. That fragmentation created confusion for consumers, educators, and IT administrators about which client to use and which features would be supported going forward. Microsoft’s decision to consolidate development onto the desktop OneNote client aims to simplify that landscape, but it also imposes a hard migration deadline on users who still rely on the UWP app. The October 14, 2025 date is part of a broader Microsoft lifecycle calendar: Windows 10 itself and several Office/Microsoft 365 components share the same lifecycle endpoint. The timing means organizations must coordinate device, app, and compliance plans across multiple concurrent end‑of‑support events.
What exactly is changing?
The practical effect: read‑only and no sync
- On October 14, 2025 the OneNote for Windows 10 UWP app will become read‑only. You will still be able to open and view your notebooks in that app, but creating, editing, or syncing from that app will no longer be supported. Updates — including security patches, bug fixes, and feature updates — will stop.
- Microsoft has implemented an in‑app migration experience to guide users from the retiring UWP app to the supported OneNote desktop app (also referred to as OneNote on Windows). The UWP app will show banners such as “Move to the newest version of OneNote” or “Switch now” to help users download and open the desktop app from the Microsoft Store.
Why Microsoft is consolidating
Microsoft’s stated rationale is straightforward: consolidating engineering effort into a single Windows client reduces fragmentation, speeds feature delivery (including AI and Copilot integrations), and improves enterprise feature parity such as sensitivity labeling and compliance controls that are better supported in the desktop client. While that simplifies the long‑term product roadmap, it creates short‑term migration work for many users and administrators.Who is affected?
Casual users and students
Anyone using the OneNote built into Windows 10 who has not migrated their notebooks to the cloud or installed the desktop OneNote app will face a change in functionality. The read‑only cutover means notes created locally and never synced will be at risk of not appearing automatically in the desktop OneNote unless exported or saved elsewhere first.Educators and classrooms
Class Notebooks and shared school notebooks need coordinated migration. IT teams should validate Class Notebook links, permissions, and OneDrive/SharePoint settings to avoid losing collaboration or assignment workflows. The desktop OneNote supports enterprise features that Class Notebook administrators may find useful, but migrating requires planning.Enterprises and IT administrators
Organizations running fleet‑wide deployments must treat this as a migration project synchronized with Windows 10 end‑of‑support activities on October 14, 2025. Deployments, Group Policy/Intune configuration, default‑app settings, add‑in compatibility, and compliance label support must be tested and validated before rolling the desktop OneNote out at scale.Verified timeline and key facts
- OneNote for Windows 10 reaches end of support on October 14, 2025.
- After that date, the UWP app will become read‑only — viewable but not editable or syncable.
- Microsoft is directing users to the OneNote desktop app (“OneNote on Windows”), which is available from the Microsoft Store and as part of Microsoft 365 installations.
- Microsoft’s broader Windows 10 end‑of‑support event also occurs on October 14, 2025, increasing the importance of coordinated migration planning for organizations.
Step‑by‑step: How individuals should prepare and migrate
Follow this prioritized checklist to avoid data loss and disruption.1. Verify which OneNote you’re running
- If the app has a full File menu and ribbon, you are likely running the desktop OneNote.
- If the UI is simplified with vertical section tabs and no File menu, you are using OneNote for Windows 10 (the UWP app). Confirm the product name in About or the Account pane.
2. Sync every notebook to the cloud (OneDrive or SharePoint)
- In OneNote for Windows 10: right‑click each notebook → Sync This Notebook (or use Sync Now) and wait until sync completes. Any local‑only notebooks must be exported or manually backed up. Unsynced local notebooks are the primary migration risk.
3. Use the in‑app migration banner
- When the UWP app displays the migration banner (Move to the newest version of OneNote / Switch now), click it and follow prompts. The banner will open the OneNote desktop app and guide verification. If the banner is not present, install the desktop OneNote from the Microsoft Store and sign in.
4. Install OneNote on Windows (desktop)
- Download from the Microsoft Store (free) or install via Microsoft 365. Sign in with the same Microsoft account or organizational account used for OneDrive/SharePoint and verify notebooks appear. Use File > Open Backups in desktop OneNote to recover older local backups if needed.
5. Validate notebooks and critical content
- Open each notebook in the desktop OneNote, check pages, ink, attachments, audio/video recordings, and searchability. Large multimedia can fail to sync; confirm those items in the OneDrive web interface if needed. Export highly critical notebooks to PDF or OneNote packages as an additional safety step.
6. Reconfigure integrations and defaults
- Update add‑ins, shortcuts, saved links, and default app settings to reference the desktop OneNote. If you use third‑party productivity tools that integrate with the UWP app, test them against the desktop client.
Guidance for IT administrators and organizations
Plan, pilot, and communicate
Large‑scale migration needs a project plan: inventory users and notebooks, pilot with representative users, and communicate timelines and self‑help guides. Use Intune/Endpoint Manager, Configuration Manager, or your software distribution system to push the desktop OneNote.Use Microsoft’s enterprise migration documentation
Microsoft has published official migration guidance for enterprise deployment. Follow Microsoft’s documented best practices for preserving Class Notebook links, SharePoint permissions, and audit trails where retention policies or compliance rules apply.Account for compliance and sensitivity labeling
OneNote on Windows (the desktop app) supports advanced enterprise features like sensitivity labels and integration with Microsoft Purview. Confirm the desktop OneNote builds you plan to deploy support your organization’s compliance controls before mass migration.Test add‑ins and workflows
Some add‑ins built for the UWP model may not function identically in the desktop client. Inventory and test critical workflows; plan fallback options for any integration that breaks during migration.Feature differences and user experience trade‑offs
- The UWP OneNote offered a simplified, touch‑friendly interface that some users preferred for its vertical navigation. The desktop OneNote uses a more traditional ribbon and File menu, which can feel different for users migrating from the UWP app. Expect a short learning curve.
- The desktop app supports broader enterprise and compliance features (sensitivity labeling, backup options, richer offline behavior), better integration with some AI capabilities, and performance improvements aimed at heavy‑ink and multimedia scenarios. These are reasons Microsoft points to in justifying consolidation.
- Some promised AI features or Copilot integrations are roadmap items. Treat timelines for those capabilities as subject to change and verify in official release notes before committing to them as part of a migration rationale. This is an unverifiable forward‑looking claim until Microsoft publishes exact release schedules.
Risks, common pitfalls, and mitigation
- Local‑only notebooks: The biggest risk is notebooks that never synced to OneDrive/SharePoint. Mitigation: identify local notebooks, export them to file formats or use the desktop OneNote’s File > Open Backups after ensuring those backups are placed where the desktop app can access them.
- Large multimedia and audio: Big attachments sometimes fail to sync. Mitigation: verify large attachments in OneDrive web view and re‑upload if necessary. Consider exporting crucial audio/video assets separately.
- Add‑ins and automation: Third‑party add‑ins built for the UWP environment may not work in the desktop client. Mitigation: audit integrations, prioritize critical ones for compatibility testing, and contact vendors for desktop support.
- User confusion and training: Some users may prefer the UWP UI. Mitigation: provide short guides, run live demos, and prepare a quick reference comparing UWP workflows to desktop equivalents.
- Running on unsupported Windows 10: Because Windows 10 itself reaches end of support on October 14, 2025, running the desktop OneNote on an unsupported OS increases platform risk. Mitigation: schedule OS upgrades to Windows 11 where hardware allows, or enroll eligible machines in Extended Security Updates only as a temporary measure.
A recommended migration timeline (practical roadmap)
- Immediately — Inventory and sync
- Inventory users and notebooks. Force a sync on every user’s notebooks in OneNote for Windows 10. Export any local notebooks.
- Within 2 weeks — Pilot and test
- Pilot the desktop OneNote with a cross‑section of users (power users, educators, field staff). Test ink, audio, and add‑in behavior.
- Within 30–60 days — Deploy and communicate
- Deploy the OneNote desktop client via management tools, update default app settings, provide training materials, and communicate the October 14, 2025 cutover date and read‑only consequence for the UWP app.
- Pre‑cutover (1–2 weeks before Oct 14) — Final sync sweep
- Instruct users to manually sync notebooks, export critical content, and confirm notebooks open in the desktop OneNote. IT should check for outstanding local notebooks and handle exceptions.
- Post‑cutover — Verify and support
- After Oct 14, 2025, the UWP app becomes read‑only; ensure users can create/edit in desktop OneNote and provide targeted help for edge cases (missing attachments, corrupted pages).
Final assessment — benefits, trade‑offs, and what to watch
Benefits- Simplification: One supported Windows OneNote reduces confusion for end users.
- Enterprise alignment: The desktop OneNote better supports sensitivity labels and compliance integration.
- Faster innovation: Consolidated engineering should accelerate feature delivery and improve parity across platforms, especially for AI features in the long run.
- Short‑term migration overhead: Users and IT teams must perform verifications and migrations before October 14, 2025.
- Potential data loss: Unsynced local notebooks risk being orphaned if not exported before the cutover.
- UI and workflow changes: Some users will resist the desktop app’s interface differences and may need retraining.
- Official Microsoft release notes for the desktop OneNote (watch for exact feature timelines).
- Organization‑wide compliance and retention policy implications—confirm how migration affects audit trails and sensitivity labeling.
Conclusion
The retirement of OneNote for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025 is a firm, calendar‑driven event that dovetails with Microsoft’s broader end‑of‑support activities for Windows 10. The practical consequence for everyday users is clear: sync and migrate now, or risk losing edit and sync functionality when the UWP app becomes read‑only. IT teams and educators should treat this as a short project with clear priorities—inventory notebooks, pilot the desktop OneNote, and communicate a concise migration checklist to end users.Microsoft’s consolidation simplifies the future direction of OneNote and strengthens enterprise feature parity, but the transition will demand deliberate action to avoid preventable data loss and disruption. The safe course—verify syncs, adopt the desktop OneNote, and coordinate migrations with any concurrent Windows 10 or Office lifecycle plans—will minimize friction and preserve access to critical notes and collaborations.
Source: The Tech Outlook OneNote for Windows 10 will reach End of Support from 14th October - The Tech Outlook