Microsoft ending support for Translator on older Windows platforms

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

If you're still using the Microsoft Translator app on an older Windows machine or device, you'll want to upgrade or find an alternative soon. Microsoft has announced (via OnMSFT) that Translator will soon stop working on Windows 8, Windows Phone 7.1 and Windows Phone 8.

According to Microsoft, the Translator app will be removed from the Store for the affected platforms on March 22. If you already have the app installed, however, you'll be able to continue using it through April 30, at which point it will stop working.

While that's bad news for anyone still holding on to an older device, the good news is that Translator will continue to be supported for anyone on Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1. Microsoft says an update will roll out to the app on those platforms soon. And of course, anyone on Windows 10 or Windows 10 Mobile remains unaffected.

Download Translator from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

28 Comments
  • W.T.F Microsoft pulling out from their own windows phone OS too... Were Doom!!!
  • we were doomed along back... 1 min silence for u if u haven't recognize it before...
  • this is why I do not like ms anymore.. their customer care..
  • It does not affect pretty much no one.. Plus those platform already outdated.
  • There are no Olx and Saavn apps outside of Win 10 too
  • Haha just the oldest ones. The 8.1's and 10's are fine.
  • that's good step . Great news
  • How is removing support a good step? The translator app is basically a wrapper that make web enquires and then reformat back to mobile display. Zero upkeep. They just remove it because its 2 year product shelve life is up. I would remember this, its basically not a good platform to put my money in.
  • Surprised they didn't pull it from 8.1 I mean what is the purpose of maintaining that os. Obviously people are using old devices and it's time for them to upgrade, even if it is to android/ios. It's like people who hang onto VHS hehe.
  • I'm pretty sure there are more 8.1 users than 10.
  • This.
  • I'm still holding on to my workhorse L822 with WP8.1 because there are no new W10 phones to choose from on Verizon.  Also, switching to iOS or Android is not an upgrade.
  • Get a used icon it supports windows 10.
  • The whole point of getting a new phone is actually getting a new phone, not a 3 year old phone to replace a 5 year old phone.
  • Lumia 950XL is release on November 20, 2015. Not even 2 year old.
  • It's still more stable than Windows 10 Mobile.
  • I don't know anything about the Windows ecosystem from a developer's point of view, but does this mean Microsoft is slowly getting rid of Silverlight apps? And is this good? I assume it is. If, eventually 8.1 is discontinued too we would get entire rewrites of grandfathered apps like WhatsApp.
  • Unsupported on WP7.5 and WP8.0? Meh. We're up to W10M RS2 nowadays. Even the WP8.1 app is fine.
  • No entiendo este articulo.
  • What on earth is Windows Phone 7.1? Do you mean Windows Phone 7.5?
  • Or maybe not, that would make sense : phones on 7.1 can update to 7.5, phones on 8 can update to 8.1.
    They keep the service running on the latest revision of each OS.
  • ok... saw the paragraph on Windows Mobil 8.1 .. don't know how I missed a whole paragraph while I was reading.. LOL. Glad for the continued 8.1 support.
  • Those first two comments. Lol. Who still uses Windows Phone 7 and 8. Most users who uses Windows on a phone uses W10M. Even WP8.1 is still good. The only people affected are either living in the past, or don't know how to upgrade.
  • Windows 8.1 and 10 still supported.
  • I'm sure MS would work closely with the major app devs to ensure that they have a live roadmap for the UWP replacement of their Silverlight apps (such as Whatsapp).
  • I wish MS could bring Windows 10 support to my Lumia 820.
  • Time to buy a Windows 10 Mobile phone. HP is too expensive. Alcatel is not available here. Considering 950XL but still a bit expensive & Android looks tempting.
  • I am using Lumia Icon with 8.1. The Voice recognition option stopped working after March 22 upgrade. It says "Oops, something went wrong". I completely removed the app, and then re-installed it. The "Oops ..." did not go away...