MC1154299 – Reminder – Support for Office 2016, Office 2019, and additional apps will end on October 14, 2025

Product:

Copilot, FastTrack, Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 suite, Project, Purview Communication Compliance, Purview Data Loss Prevention, Purview Information Protection, Visio

Platform:

Online, Web, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

User impact, Admin impact, Retirement

Links:

MC1056260

Details:

Summary:
Support for Office 2016, Office 2019, Visio 2016/2019, Project 2016/2019, and related apps ends October 14, 2025. After this, no updates or support will be provided, risking security, compliance, and performance. Upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps or Office LTSC 2024 is recommended.

Details:
As previously communicated here and MC1056260 (April '25), support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 will end on October 14, 2025. After that date, no further updates, security fixes, or technical support will be available for these versions of Office. While the applications may continue to function, using unsupported software could lead to potential security risks, compliance risks, system incompatibilities, and other issues.


Support for Visio 2016 and 2019, Microsoft Project 2016 and 2019, and several other products will also end on October 14, 2025. Organizations using these products should upgrade as soon as possible to maintain security, compliance, and performance.
[When this will happen:]
October 14, 2025
[Impact on your organization:]
After end of support, Office 2016 and Office 2019 suites, standalones, and servers will no longer receive security updates or other fixes, and no technical assistance will be available for devices still running them. Continuing to run unsupported software may expose your organization to security vulnerabilities and compliance risks and may affect the reliability and performance of services.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2025-09-17

updated:
2025-09-17

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS Preperations

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MS Urgency

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linked item details

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Security Risks
Continuing to use unsupported Office versions may expose the organization to security vulnerabilities due to lack of updates and patches.
   - roles: IT Administrator, Compliance Officer
   - references: https://docs.microsoft.com/DeployOffice/endofsupport/plan-upgrade-older-versions-office" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://docs.microsoft.com/DeployOffice/endofsupport/plan-upgrade-older-versions-office, https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/prepare-now-for-key-end-of-support-moments-in-2025/4267800 " target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/prepare-now-for-key-end-of-support-moments-in-2025/4267800

Compliance Risks
Unsupported software may not comply with Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Information Protection policies, risking legal and regulatory issues.
   - roles: Compliance Officer, Data Protection Officer
   - references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/fixed-policy, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/modern-policy

Performance Issues
Running outdated software can lead to system incompatibilities and degraded performance, affecting user productivity.
   - roles: End User, IT Support
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/officeeos/only-6-months-until-office-20162019-end-of-support-%E2%80%93-are-you-ready/4403556, https://aka.ms/OfficeLTSC2024-EOSLearn

User Experience
Users may face disruptions in their workflow due to lack of support for features and integration with modern compliance tools.
   - roles: End User, IT Administrator
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/prepare-now-for-key-end-of-support-moments-in-2025/4267800, https://www.microsoft.com/fasttrack/microsoft-365

GDPR Compliance
Unsupported software may not meet GDPR compliance standards, limiting users' ability to manage their personal data effectively.
   - roles: Data Protection Officer, Compliance Officer
   - references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/fixed-policy, https://docs.microsoft.com/DeployOffice/endofsupport/plan-upgrade-older-versions-office" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://docs.microsoft.com/DeployOffice/endofsupport/plan-upgrade-older-versions-office

Configutation Options**

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Potentional Risks**

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IT Security**

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explanation for non-techies**

Think of software support like the warranty on a car. When you buy a new car, it comes with a warranty that covers repairs and maintenance for a certain period. Once the warranty expires, you can still drive the car, but any issues that arise will be your responsibility to fix, and it might be more expensive or risky to keep driving it without that safety net.

Similarly, Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 2019, along with some other applications like Visio and Project, will reach the end of their "warranty" on October 14, 2025. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide updates, security patches, or technical support for these versions. This means that while the software might still work, any new security vulnerabilities or bugs won't be fixed, potentially exposing your organization to risks.

To continue having a "warranty" on your software, you should consider upgrading to newer versions like Microsoft 365 Apps or Office LTSC 2024. Microsoft 365 Apps are like leasing a new car that always has the latest features and safety updates. It's continuously updated, ensuring you have the latest tools and protections. Office LTSC 2024 is more like buying a new car with a fixed warranty period, providing updates and support until October 2029.

Upgrading helps maintain the security and compliance of your organization's software environment. Unsupported software might not comply with modern data protection standards, much like an older car might not meet current safety regulations. Planning this transition ahead of time will help avoid disruptions and keep your software environment secure and efficient.