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Classic Outlook by Microsoft has been the preferred choice for businesses when it comes to email communication and management. However, it’s time that you prepare your business to accept this change and say goodbye to this eminent application.
Microsoft announced Quarter 2 2029 as the end-of-life for Classic Outlook, which means it will stop providing further updates and security patches after that. This EOL is divided into 4 phases, as described ahead in this article. This article also breaks down the explanation of the timeline, who is mainly affected by the change, and what your next move should be.
What’s Happening to the Classic Outlook Application?
Classic Outlook has been offering a great user experience for years, and this announcement arrived as a surprise, creating a topic for deep discussion. This decision is mainly to lower the maintenance costs and help users move to a more secure and advanced platform to continue their email communication.
The New Outlook for Windows is emerging as a reliable alternative to this timeless email manager. Here’s what you can expect from this upgraded Outlook version:
- No need to train users since the modern interface is improved but still similar to Classic Outlook.
- New Outlook is developed using advanced technology, which means it will be more secure and safer for the users.
- Designed for simplified Microsoft 365 integration, it is projected to provide increased productivity.
Microsoft’s Classic Outlook End of Life Timeline
Microsoft announced a phase-wise retirement of Classic Outlook support 2029. Check out the table below to understand the details on end-of-life stages.
| Event Phase | Timeline | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 15-month opt-out notice for Classic Outlook | Quarter 1 – 2025 | 15 month opt-out notice announced by Microsoft |
| Beginning of Opt-out transition. | Quarter 2 – 2026 | Start the migration to New Outlook |
| Classic Outlook Cutover notice of 15 months | Quarter 4 – 2026. | Mandatory cutover from Classic to New Outlook |
| Classic Outlook Retirement | Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 – 2028 | Classic Outlook will be removed from Microsoft 365 plans individual purchases |
| Classic Outlook End of Life | Quarter 2 – 2029 | End of support for feature and security updates completely |
Is This Really the End for Classic Outlook?
Even though the actual date for the end-of-life for Classic Outlook is quarter 2 of 2029, so many users have sensed that Microsoft is in a bit hurry to retire the application. Here are some observations to prove the point:
- For users buying new computers, there is New Outlook already installed as the default email client. They won’t have access to the Classic Outlook.
- So many users have recently experienced complications, such as Classic Outlook not opening. Due to the NewOutlookAutoMigrationType registry key, several users were pushed to automatically migrate to New Outlook.
- Installing Classic Outlook on computers is becoming extremely difficult. There is no download button to get the application, and to install it, you have to use the admin tools.
This seems like Microsoft has officially staged the open war and wants everyone to make the transition to New Outlook even before the end of 2026.
Who Will be Most Affected by the Classic Outlook Support 2029?
Businesses and professional users who rely a lot on PST are going to face a lot of complications. Therefore, IT administrators should look for a reliable and efficient alternative as soon as possible to continue with their email communication. Moreover, small businesses managing their day-to-day tasks and events using the Outlook calendars will see issues in their operations.
Classic Outlook use third-party add-ins and plug-ins, which will not work with the New Outlook. Therefore, these third-party vendors are required to update their add-ins to make them compatible with the enhanced upgrade.
What Should be Your Next Move for Microsoft Support Classic Outlook Until 2029?
Before Classic Outlook end of life, you need to take necessary measures for your business to achieve a smooth transition and email management. The next steps to include in your strategy are:
- Comprehensive backup: Regularly backup all your mailboxes from Classic Outlook in an accessible format to avoid data loss until Classic Outlook not going away in 2026. This will provide you access to the data even if you transfer your account to New Outlook.
- Inform the users: If you do not inform your users about the announcement, this will come to them as a shock and might result in restricted user adoption. Tell them about the end of support and train the users about the New Outlook. Keep your organization and teams updated with all the news about the retirement of Classic Outlook.
- Prepare for the transition: If most of your operations revolve around Classic Outlook, it’s time that you start planning your move. Test the New Outlook environment to see if it can efficiently handle the data your organization owns.
It is important to understand that Microsoft will offer Microsoft Support Classic Outlook until 2029, after which it plans to terminate the app. It is already being replaced by the New Outlook app.
Conclusion
With this article, it is clear that it is the right time to plan the migration to New Outlook before the Classic Outlook end of life. Enhanced AI capabilities, lower maintenance costs, etc., are the prime reasons behind this transition. Therefore, you need to make a move quickly to avoid hassles later. However, you can use the Kernel for Outlook PST Repair tool if anything goes wrong and causes corruption in your Outlook PST file. The Outlook PST repair tool will help you retrieve the data and restore it to a new PST, MSG, PDF, or other files.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. End of life in Classic Outlook means that Microsoft will gradually stop providing features, security updates, and patches in this Outlook version. It can even result in issues like Classic Outlook not opening, putting your crucial data at risk.
A. Microsoft has announced that Quarter 2 of 2029 will be the end of life for Classic Outlook. However, you can continue to use the application as long as you want, but there will be no security updates and support from Microsoft if anything goes wrong.
A. Even though Classic Outlook not going away in 2026 and Microsoft is providing support till Quarter 2 of 2029, it will no longer be a part of the Microsoft 365 subscription. It may be available for download after that for a short span from the official site of Microsoft.
