Microsoft Gives Publisher Users a Final October Deadline

Microsoft Publisher’s end-of-support date is approaching, with Microsoft giving organizations another reminder that the app will disappear from Microsoft 365 on October 1, 2026.

The company is sending what appears to be a final retirement notice through MC1469564, following earlier Publisher retirement notifications.

Microsoft Publisher support ends October 1 for Microsoft 365 users

Microsoft Publisher will reach end of support for Microsoft 365 subscribers on October 1, 2026.

After that date, Microsoft will no longer include Publisher with Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Subscribers will also lose the ability to open or edit .pub files through the application.

Microsoft is urging customers to migrate their Publisher content before the retirement date.

For files that users only need to preserve and read, Microsoft recommends converting important .pub documents to PDF before Publisher becomes unavailable.

Office 2021 Publisher support ends October 13

Publisher users with Office 2021 have slightly more time.

The perpetual version of Publisher included with Office 2021 will reach end of support on October 13, 2026, alongside Office 2021 itself.

Microsoft has not clearly explained whether customers will still be able to launch and use the Office 2021 version of Publisher after October 13 in an unsupported state.

Either way, users should not expect security updates, fixes, or official support after the deadline.

Microsoft recommends Word and PowerPoint as replacements

Microsoft wants Publisher customers to move their existing workflows to other supported products.

Microsoft recommends Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Create templates as alternatives to Publisher.

The best replacement will depend on how customers currently use Publisher, since Word and PowerPoint do not replicate every part of the desktop publishing workflow.

Publisher users remain unhappy with the retirement

Some longtime Publisher users have criticized Microsoft’s decision, particularly because the suggested alternatives do not offer a direct replacement for every Publisher feature.

Microsoft has not reversed its plans. Customers who depend on .pub files should migrate or export important documents before the October deadlines to avoid losing convenient access to them.

Via Neowin