Microsoft has recently made an announcement regarding its document - scanning application, Microsoft Lens. The company revealed that starting from January 9, 2026, the mobile version of Microsoft Lens will be pulled from the iOS and Android app stores. Moreover, the cloud services associated with it will officially cease to operate on March 9 of the same year. Once these dates arrive, users will be unable to create new scans using the app. Nevertheless, if the app is still installed on their devices, users can keep accessing the scanned files they've generated in the past.

Microsoft explained that this strategic decision is part of an effort to streamline its product portfolio and redirect resources towards the development of AI and Copilot technologies. As part of this transition, the existing scanning capabilities of Microsoft Lens will be incorporated into other applications, specifically OneDrive and Microsoft 365 Copilot.

For users seeking an alternative to Microsoft Lens, the built - in scanning function in OneDrive can serve as a suitable replacement. Here are the specific steps: First, launch the mobile OneDrive app. Then, tap on the '+' button located in the bottom right corner of the screen. After that, select the 'Scan Photos' option. This will enable you to complete the document - scanning process and save the scanned files directly to the cloud. It's important to note that OneDrive does not offer the option to store scanned files locally.