Microsoft Lens App to be Retired on iOS and Android, Copilot AI Chat App to Take Its Place

Microsoft Lens app will be retired from iOS and Android devices on September 15, 2025, and removed from app stores on November 15, 2025. Users will still be able to use scanning features until December 15, 2025, but existing scans will remain on the device only if the app is installed. Microsoft is directing users to the Copilot AI chat app as an alternative.

Microsoft has announced that it will retire the Microsoft Lens app from iOS and Android devices starting on September 15, 2025, and remove it from the Apple App Store and Google Play on November 15, 2025. Users will still be able to use the app's scanning capabilities until December 15, 2025. After that date, no new scans will be possible, but existing scans will remain accessible as long as the app is installed on the user’s device [1].

Microsoft Lens, originally known as Office Lens, was first launched in 2015 and evolved from an application designed for Windows Phone devices. It was a simple, effective document scanner that converted paper documents, business cards, receipts, and other text-based materials into digital files in various formats, such as PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or images [1]. The app was popular among users for its straightforward functionality and lack of subscription fees or additional charges for premium features.

The decision to retire Microsoft Lens coincides with Microsoft’s increasing emphasis on AI-driven solutions. The company is directing users to its Copilot AI chat app as an alternative, which offers scanning capabilities but lacks some of the features found in Lens, such as saving scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint, and accessibility features like read-out-loud and Immersive Reader integration [1].

Despite its age, Microsoft Lens remains a popular app, with over 322,000 downloads on the App Store and Google Play over the past 30 days, according to data from app intelligence provider Appfigures. Since January 2017, it has been downloaded 92.3 million times [1].

Microsoft has not yet provided a specific reason for the shutdown of Lens, but experts suggest it is part of the company's broader strategy to integrate AI into its operational processes [2]. The move also coincides with Microsoft's recent integration of OpenAI’s GPT-5 model into its Copilot platform, enhancing its capabilities in coding, document analysis, and chat responses [4].

References:
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/08/rip-microsoft-lens-a-simple-little-app-thats-getting-replaced-by-ai/
[2] https://goachronicle.com/microsoft-set-to-shut-down-its-lens-app-amid-ai-taking-centre-stage/
[3] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rip-microsoft-lens-simple-little-194119452.html
[4] https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/microsoft-offers-free-access-to-openai-s-gpt-5-with-copilot-platforms-125080800839_1.html