Microsoft Lens Replaced by AI Copilot: A Simple App's End
Microsoft is set to discontinue its popular mobile document scanning application, Microsoft Lens, directing users instead towards its AI-powered Copilot chat app. This decision marks the end of a simple, effective tool that has served millions, raising questions about the trade-offs involved as tech giants increasingly integrate AI into their core offerings.
The phase-out of Microsoft Lens will begin on September 15, 2025, when the app will be retired from iOS and Android devices. Following this, it will be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play on November 15, 2025. Existing users will retain the ability to use the app’s scanning functions until December 15, 2025, after which no new scans will be possible. Importantly, any prior scans saved within the app will remain accessible to users as long as the application stays installed on their device.
First launched in 2015 under the name Office Lens, the app originated as a utility for Windows Phone devices before expanding its reach. What distinguished Microsoft Lens in a crowded market of mobile scanning applications was its straightforward approach and a notable absence of hidden costs or subscription requirements—a rarity in today’s app ecosystem. The app excelled at transforming a wide array of physical documents, from handwritten notes and receipts to business cards and even whiteboard scribbles, into various digital formats including PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or standard image files. It also offered built-in filters to enhance scanned images, allowing users to lighten documents or convert them into sharp black-and-white copies, with the flexibility to save files to Microsoft’s own services, other cloud platforms, or directly to a device’s camera roll. Its design prioritized simplicity and reliable functionality.
The impending shutdown was initially brought to light by the tech news site BleepingComputer, which highlighted a significant concern: the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, positioned as Lens’s successor, lacks several key functionalities present in its predecessor. While Copilot does offer scanning capabilities, it notably fails to support direct saving of scans to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint. Furthermore, it cannot save business card scans to OneNote, a feature Lens users have long relied upon. Critical accessibility features, such as read-out-loud functionality and integration with Immersive Reader, are also absent from Copilot, representing a notable downgrade for users who depend on these tools.
Despite its age and the perceived shift towards more complex, AI-driven solutions, Microsoft Lens has maintained a substantial user base. Data from the app intelligence provider Appfigures indicates that the app garnered over 322,000 downloads across the App Store and Google Play in the 30 days preceding this announcement. Since January 2017, the application has been downloaded an impressive 92.3 million times, underscoring its widespread adoption and continued utility. Microsoft has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding its decision to phase out Lens. This move exemplifies a broader industry trend where specialized, single-purpose applications are being absorbed into larger, more generalized AI platforms, often at the expense of specific functionalities that users have come to value.