Major Microsoft U-turn could convince you to stick | Tech News

It’s no secret that Microsoft is asking time on Windows 10. First launched in 2015, the software program will no longer be up to date as of October 14, 2025, and Microsoft is on a huge push to get customers of the decade-old working system to improve to Windows 11 – be it by way of a free replace or by buying a new PC.

The newest figures from Statcounter show that 53 p.c of Windows customers globally are on Windows 10, with Windows 11 behind on 44 p.c. That’s a smaller hole than in earlier months, however Microsoft has been saying adjustments that can have pushed customers to improve to the newer model.

One of these adjustments was introduced in January when Microsoft mentioned it might stop supporting all Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 from October 14, the date it’ll additionally stop sending updates to Windows 10.

This implied apps on Windows 10 reminiscent of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, utilized by thousands and thousands worldwide, would no longer obtain function and security updates, which means they could develop into unsafe to use.

“Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices,” Microsoft mentioned in January. “To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11.”

This hardline method to the deadline might have contributed to some Windows 10 customers updating their PCs to Windows 11, which is obtainable at no cost. You simply need to make sure your laptop meets the minimal system necessities, or you could encounter efficiency points.

But, as noticed by Neowin, Microsoft might have had a change of coronary heart.

In a doc on its web site entitled ‘Windows 10 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps’ dated May 8, 2025, Microsoft states:

“To help maintain security while you transition to Windows 11, Microsoft will continue providing security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 for three years after Windows 10 reaches end of support. These updates will be delivered through the standard update channels, ending on October 10, 2028.”

Microsoft caveats this by including that “using an unsupported operating system can cause performance and reliability issues when running Microsoft 365 Apps”, however the three 12 months extension represents a U-turn from the company.

As XDA Developers factors out, Microsoft’s documentation on the matter beforehand said:

“… Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices. To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11.”

Microsoft 365 is the firm’s subscription service that provides consumers entry to its Office suite of functions. Prices begin from £1.99 monthly however increase if you need entry to the software program on a number of gadgets, need more OneDrive cloud storage, need to use CoPilot AI, and more choices.

If you pay for Microsoft 365, after October 14, 2025 you will stop receiving new options in software program updates to all apps on Windows 10, however you’ll get three further years of security patches, which ought to keep the software program protected to use.

Upgrade to Windows 11 with the identical subscription and Microsoft will ship all software program updates, together with people who deliver Office apps the most recent options.