Publisher question post October 2026

Question

Question regarding Publisher application. My understanding is that it 365 will not have Publisher or open existing publisher files. Question is if I DO NOT update to 365, will I still be able to use Publisher after the support cutoff October 2026. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hello Irene Jordan,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Q&A forum

To answer your question:

No, not updating Office 365 won’t let you keep using Publisher past the October 2026 cutoff. Microsoft’s retirement is tied to your subscription entitlement, not whether you install updates. Microsoft states that after October 2026, Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to access Publisher (including opening or editing .pub files in Publisher).

So inconclusion, even if you freeze your Office apps and avoid updating, the Microsoft 365 version of Publisher is still scheduled to become unavailable after the cutoff.

You can read more about Publisher end of support info here:

Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026

If you still want to use Publisher beyond October 2026, your best option is to use the perpetual version.

Feel free reply back to this post if you have any more question or need assistance, I'll be happy to help.

Answer 2

If Microsoft 365 is not used and instead a perpetual (non‑subscription) version of Publisher is installed (for example, as part of Office LTSC/Office Professional), Publisher can continue to be installed and used after October 2026, even though support ends.

Key points from the support policy:

• Microsoft 365 subscribers:
  • After October 2026, Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365.
  • Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher.
• Perpetual (non‑subscription) Publisher:
  • Support for the perpetual version of Publisher ends on October 1, 2026, when Office LTSC 2021 reaches end of support.
  • After that date, the app is out of support but can still be installed and used.

So, not updating to Microsoft 365 is not the deciding factor. What matters is having a perpetual, licensed Publisher installation. That installation will continue to run after October 2026, but it will no longer receive updates or support.

Because Microsoft 365 access to Publisher ends, it is recommended to convert important .pub files to other formats (such as PDF or Word) before October 1, 2026.

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References:

• Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
• Publisher help & learning
• Publisher help