Microsoft to retire Microsoft 365 Companion apps in December
Recorded: Sept. 21, 2026, 6 p.m.
| Original | Summarized |
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Microsoft has announced plans to retire the Microsoft 365 companion applications, specifically the Calendar, People, and Files apps, effective December 16, 2026, and has instructed administrators to remove these applications from managed devices within their organizations by that date. This decision follows a prior announcement in October 2025 regarding the automatic installation of these companion apps on all Windows 11 enterprise devices equipped with the Microsoft 365 desktop client by the end of December 2025. These companion applications were designed to streamline user workflows by integrating Copilot for contextual artificial intelligence assistance, enabling users to locate organizational contacts, access Microsoft 365 and locally stored files, and manage schedules directly through the Windows 11 taskbar. These apps were configured to launch automatically upon startup to facilitate quick access to contacts, files, and schedules, ensuring relevant results were displayed immediately upon opening. However, the rollout process provided administrative controls for managing this integration. IT administrators had the option to prevent the automatic installation of these apps through the Device Configuration settings in the Apps Admin Center. Furthermore, individual users could disable the automatic launch functionality within each application's settings dialog by deactivating the setting for starting the app minimized upon login. Approximately one year after the commencement of automatic deployment, Microsoft determined that the Microsoft 365 companion apps would reach the end of their support cycle on December 16, 2026, at which point they would cease to function or be supported. Consequently, Microsoft advised system administrators to ensure the removal of these applications from all devices within their tenant prior to the retirement date. In addition to the application retirement, Microsoft also informed administrators that it had stopped installing these companion apps via Microsoft 365 Apps updates, shifting the responsibility for removal to admins and users of unmanaged devices to uninstall the applications directly. Beyond the companion app retirement, Microsoft provided a separate security directive to administrators concerning sign-in methods. Microsoft reminded administrators to migrate Entra ID users to phishing-resistant authentication methods, such as passkeys, QR code authentication, or FIDO2 security keys. This migration is crucial to mitigate potential sign-in disruptions that could occur after the planned retirement of SMS first-factor sign-in, which is scheduled to occur in February 2027. Sergiu Gatlan reported on this development. |