Microsoft software deprecations and security transitions

Microsoft is implementing a series of software deprecations and security transitions across its product ecosystem scheduled throughout 2026 and early 2027.

Regarding the legacy Whiteboard service, enterprise customers must migrate content to OneDrive-backed whiteboards by August 22, 2026, after which migration tooling will be disabled. Remaining legacy whiteboards are scheduled for permanent deletion on September 5, 2026, and standalone desktop and mobile apps will cease support on September 14, 2026. Users are expected to access Whiteboard through Microsoft Teams moving forward.

Microsoft Publisher is reaching its end-of-life on October 1, 2026, at which point it will be removed from Microsoft 365 subscriptions. While users with perpetual licenses, such as Office 2021, will retain access to the application, official support and security updates for those versions will cease on October 13, 2026. To preserve documents, subscribers are advised to convert .pub files to Word or PDF formats; a community-provided PowerShell script is available to assist with batch conversions.

Additionally, the Teams Live Chat feature is set to be discontinued on October 5, 2026, as the company shifts focus toward AI-driven customer interaction solutions like Copilot Studio. A new Microsoft Services Agreement will also take effect on September 30, 2026, governing consumer services including Outlook, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, and Copilot.

Security and browser updates include a transition from SMS and voice-based multi-factor authentication to passkeys within Entra ID beginning September 1, 2026, with older MFA methods scheduled for final decommissioning by February 2027. Furthermore, the Microsoft Edge browser is phasing out Manifest V2 extensions in favor of Manifest V3, with a full consumer transition expected by the end of 2026.