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Yes—Microsoft 365 Apps can continue running on Windows 10, with Microsoft security updates promised through October 10, 2028. That does not extend Windows 10 support. Microsoft ended the operating system’s normal support on October 14, 2025, so Windows 10 no longer receives free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes. The 2028 commitment applies only to Microsoft 365 Apps, and it is a transition period for moving to Windows 11.

What changed on October 14, 2025?

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. After that date, Microsoft stopped providing free software updates through Windows Update, technical assistance, and security fixes for the operating system.

Your existing installation of Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Office applications may still open and work. However, an Office application continuing to run is not the same as the Windows installation being supported or secure.

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How long will Microsoft 365 work on Windows 10?

Microsoft says Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 will receive security updates until October 10, 2028. This is a three-year extension after Windows 10’s end-of-support date, intended to give users time to move to Windows 11.

Microsoft’s guidance also warns that running Microsoft 365 Apps on an unsupported operating system can cause performance and reliability issues. The 2028 date therefore should be treated as a servicing deadline, not a promise that every Office feature will work indefinitely on every Windows 10 computer.

Security updates and new features have different deadlines

Windows 10 users should not expect Microsoft 365 to receive new features for the entire transition period. Microsoft Learn identifies version 2608, released in August 2026, as the final Microsoft 365 Apps feature-update boundary on Windows 10. Security servicing continues until October 10, 2028.

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Item Windows 10 date What it means
Windows 10 operating-system support Ended October 14, 2025 No normal free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes.
Microsoft 365 Apps feature updates End with version 2608 in August 2026 Windows 10 users should not expect later feature releases.
Microsoft 365 Apps security updates End October 10, 2028 Security fixes continue during the transition window, even though Windows 10 itself is unsupported.

“Supported Office” does not mean “supported Windows”

Microsoft services Office applications and the Windows operating system under separate lifecycle policies. Microsoft 365 can remain within its application-servicing window while the operating system underneath it is outside support.

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  • Application coverage: Microsoft 365 Apps receive security updates on Windows 10 through October 10, 2028.
  • Operating-system coverage: Windows 10 itself has no normal free security-fix or technical-support coverage after October 14, 2025.
  • Practical effect: An unpatched Windows vulnerability can affect the computer even when Office is receiving its own security updates.

What about Office 2016, Office 2019, and Office LTSC?

The 2028 Microsoft 365 transition does not apply to older perpetual Office editions. Their lifecycles have separate end dates.

Rank #3
Office edition Support status Important distinction
Office 2016 Support ended October 2025 It does not inherit Microsoft 365 Apps’ 2028 security-update window.
Office 2019 Support ended October 2025 It does not inherit Microsoft 365 Apps’ 2028 security-update window.
Office LTSC 2021 Support ends October 2026 Its lifecycle is separate from both Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Apps.

If you use one of these editions, check its own support date rather than assuming the Microsoft 365 policy applies.

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Do you need Windows 11 to keep using Word and Excel?

Not immediately for Microsoft 365 Apps. You can continue using Microsoft 365 on Windows 10 during the stated security-update window, subject to the feature cutoff and the reliability limitations of an unsupported operating system.

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Windows 11 is the supported long-term path. Check whether your current computer meets Windows 11 hardware requirements. If it does, upgrade the operating system. If it does not, plan to replace the device with Windows 11-compatible hardware rather than relying on the 2028 application deadline as a permanent solution.

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Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 2
Dell Latitude 5420 14' FHD Business Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-1145G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, Camera, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Latitude 5420 14" FHD Business Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-1145G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, Camera, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
256 GB SSD of storage.; Multitasking is easy with 16GB of RAM; Equipped with a blazing fast Core i5 2.00 GHz processor.
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Best Value
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A practical decision checklist

  1. Identify your Office license. Confirm whether you use Microsoft 365 Apps or a perpetual release such as Office 2016, Office 2019, or Office LTSC 2021.
  2. Check your Windows version and support status. Windows 10 is already outside normal operating-system support after October 14, 2025.
  3. Check Windows 11 eligibility. Use Microsoft’s current compatibility guidance for the computer’s hardware and edition.
  4. Plan the transition. Upgrade an eligible computer to Windows 11, or budget for compatible replacement hardware if an upgrade is not possible.
  5. Do not confuse the deadlines. Version 2608 is the Microsoft 365 feature-update boundary on Windows 10; October 10, 2028 is the security-update end date for Microsoft 365 Apps, not for Windows 10.

What Windows 10 users should expect during the transition

  • Word, Excel, and other Microsoft 365 Apps may remain usable after October 14, 2025.
  • Microsoft 365 security fixes continue only until October 10, 2028.
  • New Microsoft 365 features stop arriving after the Windows 10 version-2608 boundary.
  • Windows 10 itself remains unsupported throughout this period.
  • Microsoft may not be able to resolve problems caused by the unsupported operating system, even when the Office application is still in its servicing window.

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