Microsoft 365 companion apps retirement

Microsoft will retire the following Microsoft 365 companion apps on December 16th 2026:

  • Calendar companion
  • People companion
  • Files companion

The companion apps were provided at no extra cost with eligible Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licenses.

The companion apps were an additional way to find calendar information, people, and files. Removing them doesn't delete or affect any existing capabilities or Microsoft 365 data. You can continue finding the same information by using existing Microsoft 365 and Windows experiences.

When will the apps retire?

The apps will be fully retired and non-functional before December 16, 2026. The apps may be removed sooner, depending on when your organization decides to remove them.

Note

Tenant admins must remove the companion apps from all devices where they're installed. See the Guidance for admins section for instructions.

General guidance

Do I need to do anything to remove the apps?

Admins remove the apps from your device in most cases.

However, if your organization doesn't manage your device, you must remove them yourself. You can remove them in the following ways:

  1. To uninstall, go to Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps, search for Microsoft 365 companions, and select the … menu next to it. Select Uninstall, and then confirm.
  2. Type Calendar, People, or Files into Windows Search Box. When the app appears, right-click and select Uninstall. Uninstalling one app will uninstall all of them. If the menu doesn’t show up, start typing the app name then go to the Apps tab.

What can I use instead of the companion apps?

For calendar and people information, use Outlook and Teams. For files, use Windows Search Box, File Explorer, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. You can also use Copilot, even when you only remember a few details about what you’re looking for.

Will I lose any data in the apps, such as files, meetings, or contacts?

No. Your files, calendar events, and contacts live in your Microsoft 365 services, not in the companion apps. All your data remains fully available and won't be deleted by this retirement.

For more information about data stored in companion apps, see the Data Storage Notice section in Get started with Microsoft 365 companions.

Guidance for admins

Microsoft 365 companion apps might be installed in three ways:

  • Automatically on eligible Windows 11 devices through Microsoft 365 Apps updates, unless admins opted out of automatic installation.
  • Through Microsoft Intune or another software-distribution tool.
  • Directly by users.

Microsoft stops automatic installations through Microsoft 365 Apps updates. Admins must stop installations through Intune or their organization’s software-management tool and remove existing installations from managed devices.

Steps to remove the companion apps from your tenant

  1. Stop all deployment methods that can install the companion apps. This prevents new installations while you’re preparing to remove existing installations from your organization.
  2. Send an announcement to your organization that the companion apps are being retired to set expectations and reduce confusion. Direct users to Outlook, Teams, Windows Search Box, File Explorer, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other relevant Microsoft 365 apps for their workflows.
  3. Remove deployment instructions and installer links from internal software catalogs, deployment documentation, and other locations where admins or users can get the apps. This also prevents new installations.
  4. Uninstall the companion apps from all managed devices by using Microsoft Intune or your organization’s software-management tool.
  5. Tell users of unmanaged devices to uninstall the apps and provide instructions.
  6. Monitor removal until the apps are no longer installed on reporting devices.

Stop automatic installations through Microsoft 365 Apps

Companion apps are installed automatically unless you opt out of automatic installation. When the retirement date is announced, Microsoft stops the automatic installation of companion apps through Microsoft 365 Apps updates. This change prevents eligible devices from receiving companion apps automatically through future Microsoft 365 Apps updates.

Note

Microsoft’s change won’t clear the Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 companion apps setting in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center. We recommend that you clear this setting to avoid confusion when you later uninstall the companion apps.

To clear the setting:

  1. In the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center, go to Device Configuration and select the Modern App settings tab.
  2. Select Microsoft 365 companion apps.
  3. Uncheck Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 companion apps.

Stop new installations through Intune

If the companion apps were deployed through Microsoft Intune, check whether the companion apps entry in Intune have Required or Available for enrolled devices assignments. If so, delete them. Otherwise, Intune reinstalls the companion apps after you uninstall them.

To delete the assignments:

  1. In the Intune admin center, go to Apps > Windows.
  2. Select the Microsoft 365 companion apps Win32 app entry, and then select Manage > Properties. If the entry isn't available, there are no Required or Available for enrolled devices assignments, and new installations won't occur.
  3. Scroll down to Assignments, and select Edit to change the assignments.
  4. Stop Intune-driven installation by deleting the Required assignment for the companion apps.
  5. Stop Company Portal self-installations by deleting the Available for enrolled devices assignment for the companion apps.

Announce the retirement of the companion apps to end users

Microsoft recommends that you send an internal announcement before or at the time of uninstallation to avoid confusing users. Use the following template to announce the change.

Email template

Hi everyone,

Microsoft has made the decision to retire all Microsoft 365 companion apps:

  • Calendar
  • People
  • Files

When it’s happening:

The apps will be fully retired and non-functional by December 16, 2026. The apps may disappear sooner depending on when your organization decides to uninstall them.

What you can use instead: The companion apps were an additional way to find calendar information, people, and files, so you can continue using all existing Microsoft 365 and Windows experiences.

For calendar information and people, you can use Outlook and Teams. For files, you can use Windows Search Box, File Explorer, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. Copilot is another option for finding files, people, and calendar information, including when you only remember some details about what you’re looking for.

What you need to do: Admins will uninstall the apps from your device in most cases. However, if your organization doesn't manage your device, you must uninstall them yourself. Uninstalling one app will uninstall all of them.

There are two ways to uninstall:

  1. Go to Window settings > Apps > Installed apps, search for Microsoft 365 companions, and click the … menu next to it. Select Uninstall and confirm.
  2. Type Calendar, People, or Files into Windows Search Box. When the app appears, right-click and select Uninstall.

What happens to your data in the apps: Nothing happens to your data. Your files, calendar events, and contacts live in your Microsoft 365 services, not in the companion apps. All your data remains fully available and will not be deleted by the uninstallation.

Learn more: Microsoft 365 companion app retirement (https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-apps/companions/companion-app-retirement)

Questions? Contact helpdesk contact.

Thanks,
Admin / IT Department Name

Uninstall companion apps through Intune

When you uninstall through Intune, it removes the companion apps from managed devices regardless of how they were originally installed. You don't need to remove pinning or automatic startup before uninstalling.

  1. Confirm that you’ve stopped all deployment methods that can install the companion apps. Otherwise, the apps may be reinstalled after you uninstall them.
  2. In the Intune admin center, go to Apps > Windows.
  3. Select the Microsoft 365 companion apps Win32 app entry, and then select Manage > Properties. If the entry isn't available, add the Win32 app in Intune. Follow steps 1 through 6 in section 1 of the Microsoft 365 companion apps: Deployment guide.
  4. Scroll down to Assignments, and select Edit to change the assignments.
  5. Create an Uninstall assignment, and add all users or devices.
  6. Monitor the uninstallation from Monitor > Device install status or Monitor > User install status.

Apps might remain available until users close them or sign out of their device. Some devices might require a restart for the apps to be fully removed. This behavior is expected.

Monitor the uninstallation through Intune

Monitor the uninstallation to identify devices where removal failed, is still pending, or didn't run because the device is offline.

  1. In the Intune admin center, go to Apps > Windows.
  2. Select the Microsoft 365 companion apps Win32 app entry.
  3. Under Monitor, select Device install status or User install status.
  4. Review the status of targeted devices or users.
  5. Investigate failures, and continue monitoring devices as they reconnect and check in with Intune.

Removal is complete for your managed scope when Intune no longer reports the companion apps as installed on the targeted devices or users and there are no remaining failures to investigate.

Troubleshooting

The companion apps reappear after they were uninstalled

If the companion apps are reinstalled after they were removed, check whether there is still a Required assignment for the Microsoft 365 companion apps Win32 app entry in Intune. A Required assignment will cause Intune to reinstall the apps.

To fix this, remove the Required assignment as described in Stop new installations through Intune, then uninstall the apps again.

Issues with the companion apps during the retirement period

Updates and fixes, including security fixes, are no longer being provided for the companion apps. If you encounter an issue that requires a fix during the retirement period, uninstalling the companion apps is the solution. See the uninstall guidance in this article.

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