ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Microsoft Lens retires in stages, ending scans by Dec. 15, 2025.
- 365 Copilot app offers scanning but with fewer features.
- Adobe Scan, PhotoScan, TurboScan are solid Lens alternatives.
I often use Microsoft Lens on my iPhone to scan photos, business cards, and documents. It’s a handy and helpful app for scanning physical items. But come December, I’ll have to rely on a different program for my scanning needs. That’s because Microsoft is giving the app the heave-ho.
A multi-stage retirement
In a new support page, Microsoft announced that Lens will be retired starting Sept. 15. But the actual retirement will come in stages. The app will lose official support on Nov. 15, at which time it will be removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
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Even then, you’ll still be able to create new scans. However, that capability will go away on Dec. 15. At that point, you can continue to view and access previous scans as long as you keep the app on your device, but you’ll no longer be able to scan new items.
Alternatives to try
For those of us who used and liked Microsoft Lens, what can we use as an alternative come December?
There are certainly other scanning apps you can try when Microsoft Lens is gone. I’ve used Adobe Scan, Google’s PhotoScan, and TurboScan, to name a few. Though I still typically turn to Lens for my scanning, any of these other apps can handle the job.
As usual, Microsoft is pointing us to AI, specifically the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. But that’s not the regular Copilot app. That’s the Copilot app you normally use with a Microsoft 365 account. Fortunately, the app and the scanning capability are accessible to anyone, even without a Microsoft 365 subscription.
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To try this, download the Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iOS or Android. Open the app and tap the three-lined icon in the upper left. Tap Create from the menu, and then select Scan. Position the item you wish to scan and tap the shutter button.
At the preview screen, you’re able to rotate, crop, and otherwise tweak the scan. You can also retake it or delete it. When done, tap the checkmark to save the scanned image.
You can store the scans locally on your mobile device or sync them with OneDrive to access them elsewhere. You can also view previous scans at the Create screen.
Copilot vs. Microsoft Lens
However, there are a few limitations using Copilot vs. Microsoft Lens for scanning.
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With Copilot, you can’t save scans directly to Word, PowerPoint, or OneNote. You’re unable to save scanned business cards to OneNote. Copilot offers no option to read scanned documents aloud, nor does it integrate with the Immersive Reader feature.
Of course, Microsoft sees AI as the solution for everything, so you’re stuck with this option if you prefer to use a Microsoft product.
