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

(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.

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 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 BlueSky @andrewfreedman.net. You can send him tips on Signal: andrewfreedman.01