Why Access and Publisher did not get the new 365 icons?

Hi,

Like most other M365 apps, Access has got new icons last month. The icon kit that Microsoft shared with us Access MVPs in early Oct includes all variants that are also available for the other applications (non-transparent, semi-transparent, flying, etc.).

Access is mentioned e.g. in the list of applications in this Microsoft blog post about the new designs. You can also see the new icon on M365 plan pages if you scroll down far enough. It can be seen even more clearly on up-to-date Microsoft slides, like the ones I used as cover image for the latest two articles in our AFo blog.

The first reason why Access does not appear on the MS design page you asked about is, as Mzo Ramirez wrote, that Access falls under "business applications" at Microsoft, not consumer. Secondly, even with millions of monthly users, it is not one of the most frequently used Office applications, which are given preferential treatment when displayed on Microsoft websites.

In the applications themselves the icons are being updated gradually. That's why you may see the new logo in some places and the old one in others. It takes time.

If you need publicly available high-quality variants of the new Access icon, take a look here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Access#/media/File:Microsoft_Office_Access_(2025-present).svg

or here https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Microsoft_Access

Servus
Karl

Access Forever News DevCon
Access-Entwickler-Konferenz AEK

I don't know about Publisher, but perhaps it was not including because it is going to be deprecated.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7

Access has the new icons. I believe that the rollout is uneven, though. If you don't have it yet, it should become available soon.

It is not true, by the way that Access is in extended maintenance mode. Rumors of the demise of Access continue to circulate regardless of reality. Giving credence to those rumors in posts like this is part of the problem.

See the statements regarding future development plans for Access by Linda Canon, the product manager for Access, at the recent AEK Conference, as quoted on AccessForever.org. https://www.accessforever.org/post/microsoft-s-plans-for-access-oct-25-march-26

New icon for Microsoft Access!

The icon for Microsoft Access has finally been refreshed. The new icon started appearing towards the end of January, 2026. Microsoft 365 users should notice the change now or very soon. Overall the icon changed very little. The only major difference is that the square with the "A" was reduced in size and moved further down to be consistent with the other 365 app icons.

Meanwhile, there's still no new icon for Microsoft Visio. Those using Microsoft's SQL Server platform will be happy to learn that Microsoft designed a brand new icon set for the SQL Server 2025 platform released last fall. The main icon looks like an "S". SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) that comes with SQL Server 2025 also has a new icon.

Regarding Publisher...

Publisher is not getting a new icon because support for the software and its availability with the 365 subscription will be discontinued (and uninstalled) starting October, 2026. Users with the standalone version of the office apps (i.e., non-subscription) that includes Publisher will still be able to use Publisher, but there won't be any new icon refresh.

How do I replace Publisher?

Good news! If you are among the many users affected by the loss of Publisher and don't know what to do, there is a solution. Try using Canva's brand new Affinity 3.0. This version was released at the end of October, 2025 (Affinity merged with Canva earlier this year). Best of all, it's standalone only, easier to use than Photoshop, feature rich, and completely free with no strings attached. Only the AI components are subscription based. Affinity 3.0 will also be updated on a regular basis.

Hello. There’s no official statement from Microsoft explaining why Access and Publisher were left out of the 2025 icon refresh. But it’s reasonable to deduce that it’s due to their current development status.

Both apps are in extended maintenance mode, receiving only compatibility and security updates. They’re not part of the core “Fluent Design” or “AI-era” productivity stack that Microsoft is actively evolving, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or Teams.

If anything, Access will be the one still surviving, tho not included on the "Fluent Design", Publisher was confirmed is on "Phased out" status.

The last time I saw both of them mentioned in any redesign was on this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/the-new-look-of-office-a6cdf19a-b2bd-4be1-9515-d74a37aa59bf