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Why is Microsoft Lens shutting down in 2026 and what are the best free alternatives?
Microsoft has officially initiated the sunset process for Microsoft Lens on iOS and Android as of January 9, 2026. This decision stems from a strategic pivot toward consolidating features into the Microsoft 365 Copilot ecosystem and OneDrive. While the application remains functional for a short window, support will cease entirely by March 9, 2026.
As your advisor on software transitions, I recommend taking immediate action to preserve your data and adapt your workflow to the new tools.
Critical Timeline for Users
You must mark these dates to avoid data loss or workflow disruption:
- January 9, 2026: The “Retired” phase begins. The app receives no further updates or security patches.
- February 9, 2026: Microsoft removes Lens from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You cannot download or reinstall the app after this date. The status shifts to “Unsupported,” meaning OS updates may break the app functionality without a fix.
- March 9, 2026: The cloud services powering the image processing will shut down. The scanning function within the app will stop working permanently.
Note: You can access previously scanned documents after March 9 only if the app remains installed and you are signed into the last active account used.
Why This Is Happening
The retirement of standalone utilities like Lens is a direct consequence of the industry-wide shift toward integrated AI platforms. Maintaining a standalone scanning app diverts resources from Microsoft’s primary focus: AI adoption and the Copilot infrastructure.
Microsoft has integrated the core optical character recognition (OCR) and scanning capabilities of Lens directly into OneDrive and the Microsoft 365 app. The company views a standalone scanning app as redundant.
The Primary Alternative: OneDrive
For most users, the native scanning feature within OneDrive is the direct replacement.
How to Scan in OneDrive
- Open the OneDrive mobile app.
- Tap the Plus (+) icon or the camera icon.
- Select Scan.
- Capture your document. The app applies the same cleanup filters used in Lens.
The Trade-off
Unlike Microsoft Lens, which allowed saving directly to local device storage, OneDrive forces you to save scans to the cloud first. To keep a local copy, you must manually download the file from your OneDrive folder back to your device.
Other Alternatives
If the cloud-first requirement of OneDrive disrupts your workflow, consider these options:
- Microsoft 365 (Office) App: Contains a “Scan” module that integrates with Copilot for deeper text analysis.
- Google Drive: Offers a robust scanning widget on Android that saves PDF files directly to your Drive.
- Notes (iOS): For iPhone users, the native Notes app includes a built-in document scanner that saves directly to on-device notes.