check before: 2026-10-13
Product:
Copilot, FastTrack, Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 suite, Project, Visio
Platform:
Online, Web, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
User impact, Admin impact, Retirement
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Support for Office LTSC 2021 and related apps ends October 13, 2026, with no further updates or support. Organizations should upgrade to Microsoft 365 Apps or Office LTSC 2024 to maintain security, compliance, and performance, avoiding risks from using unsupported software.
Details:
As previously communicated, support for Office LTSC 2021 will end on October 13, 2026. After that date, no further updates, security fixes, or technical support will be available for this version 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 LTSC 2021 and Microsoft Project LTSC 2021 and several other products will also end on October 13, 2026. Organizations using these products should upgrade as soon as possible to maintain security, compliance, and performance.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2026-04-14
updated:
2026-04-14
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
End of Support for Office LTSC 2021
After October 13, 2026, Office LTSC 2021 will not receive security updates or technical support, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.
- roles: IT Administrator, Compliance Officer
- references: https://aka.ms/OfficeLTSC2024-EOSLearn, https://docs.microsoft.com/DeployOffice/endofsupport/plan-upgrade-older-versions-office
Compliance Risks
Using unsupported software may lead to compliance issues with regulations such as GDPR, risking fines and legal repercussions.
- roles: Compliance Officer, Legal Advisor
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/faq/fixed-policy, https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/faq/modern-policy
System Incompatibilities
Continuing to use Office LTSC 2021 may result in incompatibility with newer systems and applications, affecting productivity.
- roles: End User, IT Support Specialist
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/officeeos/office-20162019-support-ends-today-%E2%80%94-prepare-for-office-ltsc-2021-end-of-support/4461272, https://www.microsoft.com/fasttrack/microsoft-365
Service Reliability Issues
Unsupported software can lead to decreased performance and reliability of services, impacting user experience.
- roles: End User, IT Administrator
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-apps-for-business, https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-business-premium
Increased IT Support Burden
IT teams may face increased workload due to troubleshooting issues arising from unsupported software, diverting resources from other projects.
- roles: IT Support Specialist, IT Manager
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/enterprise/e3, https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/enterprise/microsoft-365-apps-for-enterprise-product
Configutation Options**
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Potentional Risks**
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IT Security**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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