Microsoft To Shut Down Lens And Push Users To Copilot - But You Have Other Options

Microsoft / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Microsoft Lens retires successful stages, ending scans by Dec. 15, 2025.
• 365 Copilot app offers scanning but pinch less features.
• Adobe Scan, PhotoScan, TurboScan are coagulated Lens alternatives.

I often usage Microsoft Lens connected my iPhone to scan photos, business cards, and documents. It's a useful and adjuvant app for scanning beingness items. But travel December, I'll person to trust connected a different programme for my scanning needs. That's because Microsoft is giving nan app nan heave-ho.

A multi-stage status

In a new support page, Microsoft announced that Lens will beryllium retired starting Sept. 15. But nan existent status will travel successful stages. The app will suffer charismatic support connected Nov. 15, astatine which clip it will beryllium removed from Apple's App Store and Google Play. 

Also: Microsoft rolls retired GPT-5 crossed its Copilot suite - here's wherever you'll find it

Even then, you'll still beryllium capable to create caller scans. However, that capacity will spell distant connected Dec. 15. At that point, you tin proceed to position and entree erstwhile scans arsenic agelong arsenic you support nan app connected your device, but you'll nary longer beryllium capable to scan caller items.

Alternatives to effort

For those of america who utilized and liked Microsoft Lens, what tin we usage arsenic an replacement travel December? 

There are surely different scanning apps you tin effort erstwhile Microsoft Lens is gone. I've used Adobe Scan, Google's PhotoScan, and TurboScan, to sanction a few. Though I still typically move to Lens for my scanning, immoderate of these different apps tin grip nan job.

As usual, Microsoft is pointing america to AI, specifically nan Microsoft 365 Copilot app. But that's not nan regular Copilot app. That's nan Copilot app you usually usage pinch a Microsoft 365 account. Fortunately, nan app and nan scanning capacity are accessible to anyone, moreover without a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Also: 5 non-Google productivity apps connected Android I can't unrecorded (or work) without

To effort this, download nan Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iOS aliases Android. Open nan app and pat nan three-lined icon successful nan precocious left. Tap Create from nan menu, and past prime Scan. Position nan point you wish to scan and pat nan shutter button. 

At nan preview screen, you're capable to rotate, crop, and different tweak nan scan. You tin besides retake it aliases delete it. When done, pat nan checkmark to prevention nan scanned image.

You tin shop nan scans locally connected your mobile instrumentality aliases sync them pinch OneDrive to entree them elsewhere. You tin besides position erstwhile scans astatine nan Create screen.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Copilot vs. Microsoft Lens 

However, location are a fewer limitations utilizing Copilot vs. Microsoft Lens for scanning. 

Also: Microsoft gives Copilot a look - here's really to effort your caller Appearance chat buddy

With Copilot, you can't prevention scans straight to Word, PowerPoint, aliases OneNote. You're incapable to prevention scanned business cards to OneNote. Copilot offers nary action to publication scanned documents aloud, nor does it merge pinch nan Immersive Reader feature. 

Of course, Microsoft sees AI arsenic nan solution for everything, truthful you're stuck pinch this option.