Microsoft Lens is a PDF scanner on iOS and Android that allows you to save content by taking photos of whiteboards or documents. It was previously known as Office Lens before a name change in 2021.
Images saved through Microsoft Lens can be saved as PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files and stored locally or in OneDrive or OneNote.
Office Lens was one of the killer apps on Windows Phone back in the day, so it's a bit sad to see it go away entirely. I remember showing off how well Office Lens worked at university and making my mates jealous.
But alas, nothing lasts forever.
"The Microsoft Lens app will be retired from iOS and Android devices starting January 9, 2026, and will no longer be supported after February 9, [2026]" reads a Microsoft support document.
"You can continue to scan documents in the app until March 9, 2026. After that, you will not be able to create new scans, but you will still be able to access your previous scans if the app remains installed on your device."
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This is not the first time we've had to cover Microsoft Lens being removed from a store. Somewhat ironically, Microsoft retired the Windows version of Office Lens in 2021 before dropping support for the app on iOS or Android.
Microsoft recommends OneDrive as an official alternative. While OneDrive is capable of scanning documents and whiteboards, it cannot store files locally on your phone.
Interestingly, the Microsoft 365 Copilot app is not listed as an alternative despite the app supporting document scanning.
To scan files in the OneDrive app, you just need to select the + button in the lower right-hand corner of the app. To do the same thing in Microsoft 365 Copilot, you need to navigate to the Create tab and select "Scan."
We've known about the demise of Microsoft Lens for a while, so people have had time to prepare for the retirement. Microsoft announced its plans for Microsoft Lens back in August.
Since the olden days of Windows Phone and Office Lens, plenty of document scanners have entered Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store. For example, "Scanner App: Genius Scan" for iOS has 1.3 million ratings and currently sits at 4.9 stars. The same app is also available on Android.
How do you scan documents? Let us know in the comments!
Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.
Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.
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