Previously, Microsoft announced that Microsoft 365 apps like Word and Excel would no longer work after October 14, 2025, when Windows 10 reaches the end of its life. However, it seems the company has changed its mind and is now offering three years of extended support.

Extended Support for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10

It wasn’t surprising to hear that Microsoft had decided to end support for its various apps on Windows 10 once the operating system reached its end-of-life. After all, older operating systems like Windows 7 and Windows 8 no longer support Microsoft 365 Apps, so why should Windows 10?

What you might not have expected, though, is that Microsoft would go back on this deadline just a few months after initially trying to scare Windows 10 owners into upgrading to Windows 11.

According to a new support document with details about the end of support for Windows 10, Microsoft 365 apps will continue to receive support from Microsoft until October 10, 2028. That’s three extra years of updates and support, which lines up with previous plans to offer three years of extended support for Windows 10, though both extended support options will come at their own prices.

There’s a Catch

While Windows 10 will still support Microsoft 365 apps after the initial deadline, there are a couple of specifics that you’ll want to be aware of. Most notably, the updates are only security updates.

That means you likely won’t get any new features or big changes to the apps on Windows 10. However, with Microsoft 365 being subscription-based, that could vary depending on how Microsoft delivers those features. Additionally, Microsoft has shared some specifics about how much support you’ll actually be able to get when using Windows 10.

“If the issue occurs only with Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10, with or without Windows 10 Extended Security Updates, and doesn’t occur on Windows 11, support will ask the customer to move to Windows 11,” Microsoft wrote in the support document.

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Further, the company stated that support issues when running Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 will not include the option to report bugs or to request other product updates, even if you buy Extended Support for Windows 10. Microsoft also said that if you’re unable to move to Windows 11, you’ll only be able to get troubleshooting assistance and that technical workarounds may be limited.

So, while Microsoft is offering support for three more years, that support will be extremely limited—so limited, in fact, that I can’t help but wonder if it is even worth it. Ultimately, Microsoft still plans to continue to push you toward upgrading to Windows 11. All this change does is delay the inevitable just a little bit longer.