Microsoft is ending support for one of its critically acclaimed and beloved apps, Microsoft Lens PDF Scanner. , as the company tried to push users toward the Copilot service, and to make matters worse, Copilot didn't do everything Lens did.
Originally called Office Lens, the app is a mobile app that can capture, edit, and convert documents, whiteboards, and receipts into searchable PDF files.
Microsoft plans to phase out the feature starting in mid-September. Downloads of Microsoft Lens will be discontinued by mid-October.
In mid-November, the app will be removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. As of December 15th, Microsoft Lens users will no longer be able to create new scan tasks.
Scan results are still accessible in the "MyScans" folder. All scans saved to OneDrive are accessible in MyCreations within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
The company recommends users switch to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. While the app does have many of the same features, as BleepingComputer points out, it doesn't allow users to save scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint, nor does it allow users to scan business cards and save them to OneNote.
The alternative version also doesn't have read-aloud functionality or Immersive Reader integration. Microsoft assured users that it will continue to add features and improve the performance of the Copilot app, but did not provide a timeline.
The move is likely to help those who haven't downloaded the Copilot app yet. It remains to be seen whether this move will actually have the desired effect.