From that date forward, Office Mobile applications for UWP will not receive any updates. This includes security fixes and bug solutions. All technical support will be shuttered in just over a year from now. “The Office apps for phones using Windows 10 Mobile – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote — will reach end of support on January 12, 2021. On that date, app users will no longer receive security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options or online technical content updates from Microsoft.” It makes sense because these versions of Office Mobile were “the apps for phones using Windows 10 Mobile.” That’s because Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile support is ending today (Dec 10, 2019). If you are still holding out on the platform, you’ll no longer get any support and Office Mobile will soon follow. When Microsoft announced end of feature support for the apps last year, the company did not discuss cutting all support. However, it was expected all support would be cut off eventually. Microsoft has shifted its attention to Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote) on iOS and Android. On Windows, the company is now fully behind the Win32 and web versions of the apps.
Losing Benefits
One of the most interesting things about Microsoft’s decision is the apps were not solely dedicated to Windows 10 Mobile. For example, they were specialized touch versions of Office apps. In other words, users could use them on Microsoft’s Surface devices and on HoloLens. Furthermore, the apps are free on device under 10.1 inches. Microsoft has not confirmed, but it seems the Office Mobile apps will leave support across all Windows devices.
