Microsoft reminded customers this week that Office 2016 and Office 2019 have reached the end of extended support on October 14, 2025.
According to the company’s product lifecycle website, Office 2016 mainstream support ended five years ago, in October 2020, while Office 2019 reached the end of mainstream support three years later, in October 2023.
However, even though support has been discontinued, these Office versions will continue to function, but they will be vulnerable to attacks because Microsoft has stopped providing security updates, bug fixes, and technical support.
“Continuing to use products after their end of support can negatively impact organizational security, compliance, and productivity. Migrations can take time, so we recommend starting your upgrade to supported versions of these products as soon as possible,” the company said.
Microsoft also advised customers using Visio 2016/2019, Project 2016/2019, Skype for Business 2016 and 2019, and related apps to upgrade as soon as possible to avoid security and performance issues, as they have reached the end of support this week.
This week’s reminder follows two others issued in April and September, urging users to migrate to the subscription-based Microsoft 365 Apps productivity suite. Detailed guidance on upgrading from outdated Office versions to Microsoft 365 Apps is available on Microsoft’s support website.
Small businesses and home users without Microsoft 365 subscriptions who want a standalone Microsoft Office release can also switch to Office 2024, released in October 2024, which includes locked-in-time versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook for Windows and macOS.
Another option is Office LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) 2024, released in September 2024, a perpetual, volume-licensed version of Office for Windows and macOS for government and commercial customers, specifically tailored for devices without internet connectivity that require long-term support, like medical equipment.
According to its lifecycle website, Microsoft will provide four more years of support for Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024, ending on October 9, 2029.
This week, Redmond has also reminded customers that Windows 10 and Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 have reached the end of support and will no longer receive patches for newly discovered bugs and security flaws.
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