Microsoft Retires Simple Mobile Scanner App Lens, Directing Users to AI-Powered Copilot

Microsoft Lens, a mobile document scanner app, is being discontinued on September 15, 2025, and will be removed from app stores on November 15, 2025. Existing users will be able to use the app's scanning capabilities until December 15, 2025. The app is being replaced by Microsoft 365 Copilot, which lacks some of Lens' functionality, such as saving scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint.

Microsoft has announced the impending discontinuation of its popular Lens PDF Scanner app. The app, originally known as Office Lens, has been a staple for users who needed to capture, edit, and convert documents, whiteboards, and receipts into searchable PDF files. The company has set a timeline for the phase-out process, with the app's support ending gradually from mid-September to December 15, 2025 [1].

The transition will be gradual, with new downloads of Microsoft Lens being disabled by mid-October. By mid-November, the app will be removed from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Existing users will still be able to access their scans in the MyScans folder, and any scans saved to OneDrive will be accessible in MyCreations within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. However, the app will no longer be able to create new scans after December 15, 2025.

Microsoft is encouraging users to switch to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which shares many of the same features as Lens. However, Copilot lacks some functionalities, such as the ability to save scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint, and it does not feature read-out-loud functionality or Immersive Reader integration [1].

The discontinuation of Lens and the push towards Copilot coincide with Microsoft's integration of the latest OpenAI GPT-5 model across its suite of AI-powered tools, including Copilot, Azure, GitHub, and Microsoft 365 [2]. This integration aims to enhance reasoning, speed, and context-awareness for users, making AI more adaptive to real-world workflows. The introduction of "smart mode" in Copilot allows the AI assistant to dynamically switch between models depending on the task, improving its ability to handle complex problems and simpler queries.

The move to discontinue Lens and promote Copilot is likely an attempt to funnel holdouts who have yet to download the Copilot app. However, the effectiveness of this strategy remains to be seen.

References:
[1] https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/08/08/microsoft-lens-pdf-scanner-will-get-killed-before-the-end-of-2025
[2] https://www.thehansindia.com/technology/tech-news/microsoft-rolls-out-gpt-5-across-copilot-azure-github-and-microsoft-365-with-new-smart-mode-995065