Microsoft u-turn gives apps security updates on Windows 10 until 2028

Microsoft has softened its stance on support for Windows 10 security support for Microsoft 365 apps, extending the deadline from October by another three years.

Microsoft has been trying to convince users to upgrade to Windows 11 ahead of the end of support for Windows 10 in October. So far, Statcounter global figures suggest Windows 10 still dominates with 53% of users versus 44% on Windows 11 – an improvement from a year ago when Windows 10 still held 70% of desktop Windows market share.

That's led to a tough stance by Microsoft to encourage upgrades, but that's sparked criticism, in part because of the technical requirements for Windows 11 – 4GB of RAM, Trusted Platform Module 2.0, and more – that means many people will need to buy new computers, one reason why companies are dragging their feet over the update.

Microsoft apps end of support

Back in January, Microsoft announced it would end support for key Microsoft 365 apps for computers running Windows 10 as of October 10, 2025. Those apps included Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, Word, and more – all crucial tools for many businesses.

At the time, Microsoft said: "Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices. To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11."

That perhaps doesn't come as a surprise, as that's Microsoft's official end-of-support date for Windows 10, with no more updates or security fixes for the aging OS after that point. Indeed, Microsoft said in its support documents at the time that the apps will continue to operate after October: "After that date if you're running Microsoft 365 Apps on a Windows 10 device, the applications will continue to function as before. However, we strongly recommend upgrading to Windows 11 to avoid performance and reliability issues over time."

Security lifeline

However, there's since been an update to those support pages. A new line notes that those apps will continue to get security updates for three more years.

Microsoft now says: "In the interest of maintaining your security while you upgrade to Windows 11, we will continue providing security updates for Microsoft 365 on Windows 10 for a total of three years after Windows 10 end of support, ending on October 10, 2028."

That's a major turnaround from January's post, and it means that any systems stuck running Windows 10 for whatever reason – to save costs, avoid upgrading hardware, to support legacy systems – will be able to continue to run those key apps without a security risk, at least. Microsoft also notes that the online versions of Office are another alternative for those unable to upgrade.

Plus, it's worth noting that the security support is for the apps only, not the OS itself. To get critical security updates for Windows 10 after the October 2025 cutoff, companies can pay for Extended Security Updates (ESU).