Rip Microsoft Lens, A Simple Little App That’s Getting Replaced By Ai

Sometimes, it’s bully to person a elemental app that does 1 point good without a batch of fuss.

Microsoft Lens was that type of app: a mobile archive scanner that turned insubstantial documents, business cards, receipts, and thing other into easy readable integer files. Now, that app is being discontinued, Microsoft says, arsenic it directs its users to its Copilot AI chat app instead.

According to a caller support document, Lens will beryllium retired from iOS and Android devices starting connected September 15, 2025, past removed from nan Apple App Store and Google Play connected November 15, 2025. Existing users will beryllium capable to proceed to usage nan app’s scanning capabilities done December 15, 2025. After that date, nary caller scans will beryllium possible, but entree to anterior scans will stay successful nan app arsenic agelong arsenic it stays connected nan user’s device.

First launched successful 2015, Microsoft Lens (then known arsenic Office Lens) evolved from an exertion primitively designed for Windows Phone devices. While its halfway functionality was akin to different mobile scanning applications, it didn’t effort to upcharge users for definite functionality aliases push them into a subscription — a rarity successful today’s App Store.

Image Credits:Microsoft

Instead, it performed its task of turning immoderate statement — handwritten aliases different — document, receipt, business card, aliases moreover whiteboard scribbles into nan record format of your choice, for illustration PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, aliases images. It besides offered a assortment of built-in filters to heighten nan resulting image, lighten nan document, move it into a sharper black-and-white copy, and more.

You could past prevention nan record to 1 of Microsoft’s apps, different online services, aliases your camera roll. It was simple, and it worked well.

The app’s impending shutdown was first spotted by nan tract BleepingComputer, which points retired that users are being directed to nan Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which lacks each nan functionality recovered successful Lens. While Copilot tin grip scanning, it doesn’t support redeeming those scans straight to OneNote, Word, aliases PowerPoint, nor does it prevention business paper scans to OneNote. It besides lacks Lens’ accessibility features for illustration read-out-loud and Immersive Reader integration, nan tract notes.

Despite its age, Lens remains reasonably popular, having pulled successful complete 322,000 downloads connected nan App Store and Google Play complete nan past 30 days, according to information from app intelligence supplier Appfigures. Since January 2017, it has been downloaded 92.3 cardinal times, nan firm’s information shows.

Microsoft has not yet responded to a petition for remark connected its determination to unopen down Lens.