RIP Microsoft Lens: Beloved Document Scanner Replaced by AI Amid Feature Loss

Sometimes it’s nice to have a simple app that does one thing well without a lot of fuss. Microsoft Lens was precisely that type of application.

Microsoft Lens, initially launched as Office Lens in 2015 and evolving from its Windows Phone origins, has been a reliable mobile document scanner. Its core function was to transform paper documents, business cards, receipts, and even whiteboard scribbles into easily readable and manageable digital files. The app offered a variety of output formats, including PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and standard image files, along with built-in filters to enhance clarity and readability. What truly set Lens apart was its simplicity and lack of aggressive monetization, offering its robust functionality without upcharges or subscriptions—a genuine rarity in today’s app marketplace.

However, Microsoft is now set to retire this well-loved application. According to a recent support document, Microsoft Lens will be retired from iOS and Android devices starting September 15, 2025. The app will subsequently be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on November 15, 2025. Users will be able to continue utilizing its scanning capabilities until December 15, 2025, after which no new scans will be possible, though access to previously saved scans will remain.

The company is directing users towards its Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the successor. Yet, reports, including those from Bleeping Computer, highlight that Copilot currently falls short in replicating the specialized features of Lens. While Copilot can perform scans, it reportedly lacks the direct saving integration to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint, and it doesn’t save business card scans to OneNote. Crucially, accessibility features like read-out-loud and Immersive Reader integration, which were part of Lens, are also absent in the AI chat app.

Despite its impending discontinuation, Microsoft Lens remains remarkably popular. Data from app intelligence firm Appfigures indicates that the app garnered over 322,000 downloads across the App Store and Google Play in the last 30 days alone. Since January 2017, its download count has reached an impressive 92.3 million, a testament to its utility and widespread adoption.

Microsoft has not yet issued a public comment regarding its decision to phase out Lens. The retirement of Microsoft Lens marks the end of an era for a tool celebrated for its efficiency and user-friendly design, transitioning users to an AI-centric model that may not fully capture the seamless experience previously offered.