Table of Contents
Are Your Exchange Online Apps Ready for the EWS Retirement Timeline?
You need to act now if your organization uses Exchange Web Services (EWS) to connect apps to Microsoft 365, as Microsoft is retiring EWS in Exchange Online. This transition means all EWS-based integrations will permanently stop working, requiring a migration to Microsoft Graph.
EWS Shutdown Timeline
Microsoft will start blocking EWS access for users with certain kiosk and Frontline Worker licenses in late June 2026. The phased rollout to disable EWS across Exchange Online begins on October 1, 2026. By April 1, 2027, Microsoft will permanently disable EWS for all tenants, and administrators will lose the ability to manage EWS access.
Identifying EWS Applications
You must determine which applications in your environment rely on EWS before the shutdown. Microsoft provides the Exchange Web Services usage report in the Microsoft 365 admin center to help you monitor activity. This report displays the SOAP actions used by applications calling EWS, along with the successful-call volume.
Analyzing Application Usage
You can use the PowerShell scripts from the Exchange App Usage Reporting GitHub page to identify specific Azure AD app registrations with EWS permissions. Sorting the output by the last sign-in date helps prioritize apps with recent activity, as these are most likely to disrupt your operations when EWS is blocked. Applications lacking sign-in data require validation to determine if they are dormant or misconfigured.
Transitioning to Microsoft Graph
You must develop a migration plan to transition supported alternatives to Microsoft Graph. Tracking down application owners and documenting the mailboxes and workloads each app interacts with is a necessary step. Validating the end-to-end functionality of your migrations to Microsoft Graph ensures a smooth transition before the deadline.