Microsoft Ending Windows 10 Mobile Support, Encourages Switch to iOS, Android

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(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you're still on a Windows 10 Mobile device, this is the year to jump to another platform. Microsoft said this week it will cease support for the mobile operating system (OS) on December 10. There will be no more product or security updates for the platform.

"Windows 10 Mobile, version 1709 (released October 2017) is the last release of Windows 10 Mobile and Microsoft will end support on December 10, 2019," Microsoft announced in a life cycle support page this week. "The end of support date applies to all Windows 10 Mobile products, including Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise."

Microsoft announced in 2017, the same year it canceled Windows 8.1 Mobile Support, that it wasn't developing any new features for the OS (and that it wasn't working on new phones), but you could still get security patches. That won't be the case in December. 

The company advised current users to switch to iOS and Android devices.

"With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device. Microsoft’s mission statement to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more compels us to support our Mobile apps on those platforms and devices," Microsoft said in an FAQ. 

The company has been increasingly focusing on getting its services on iOS and Android devices. Android has become the de facto mobile OS for Windows users, especially with the introduction of Windows 10's "Your Phone" feature, which can move photos, send and receive texts and even mirror Android on your desktop. For iOS users, most Windows 10 services are buried in the Edge app.

And while there have long been rumors of a pocketable Andromeda device (which has been shelved, for now), it seems that it won't be a phone and will more likely use a version of Windows 10's new C-Shell command programming language.

Andrew E. Freedman
Andrew E. Freedman

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • s1mon7
    Such a waste of Nokia tech. I wish that company never went that way, and that they were never purchased by Microsoft. I miss their phones. On the software side, that's just another failed project for Microsoft. In the mobile industry and as customers, we lost a major innovator.
    Reply
  • mihen
    Super sad I will have to shelve my Lumia 950 XL. Now the choice is between a closed garden and a telemarketer. I felt Windows Mobile was always the superior of the OSes.
    Reply
  • captaincharisma
    so they are saying they will discontinue supporting your shoddy phone but here is one you can switch to that's just as bad
    Reply
  • ET3D
    "Android has become the de facto mobile OS for Android users"

    Well, yeah. :)
    Reply
  • hannibal
    Yep! It was good os, with very poor app support!
    Reply
  • firekraker
    Was my favorite mobile O/S but sadly the lack of support killed it for me. Sadly on the IOS side of things and truly miss the O/S.
    Reply
  • Geef
    I wonder why Microsoft doesn't just make a full version of Windows 10 Home or Pro on a phone, no need to do updates for it specifically just let it grab what it needs from normal windows update. Its not like phones nowadays can't process the entire OS or not have space for it?
    Reply
  • poka71
    As MIHEN said: "Super sad I will have to shelve my Lumia 950 XL. Now the choice is between a closed garden and a telemarketer. I felt Windows Mobile was always the superior of the OSes." I was forced to change from Lumia 950 XL to Android cause my phone got broken. Windows10 mobile was a lot better than Android. This unreal that such a company as Microsoft can't keep windows10 mobile alive and healthy...
    Reply