While Microsoft previously stated that Office applications would no longer be updated after Windows 10 support ends, the company has changed its stance. The official support site now states that security updates for Office will continue for another three years.
Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025. That's when Microsoft planned to stop releasing updates for office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and others, but now support has been extended until October 10, 2028. This is argued for user security.
"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."
Ahead of the end of Windows 10 support, Microsoft is actively trying to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 11, even releasing hidden updates to the operating system with calls for an upgrade. In addition, the company is using the end of the OS life cycle to increase sales of Copilot+ computers.
For those users who choose to stay on the previous version of the system, the company is also offering paid security updates, as any free updates will stop after October. A similar offer is also available from third parties, in particular from micropatch provider 0Patch.
But despite all of Microsoft's active attempts to increase the share of Windows 11, the tenth version still remains the main operating system for most people in the world. At the end of 2024, its popularity even increased, and the company itself released several updates, including a mandatory update with Copilot.