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Microsoft Lens is shutting down (2026): best alternatives

By Scanner.cam Editorial Team · Updated 13 Nov 2026 · 4 min read

Quick answer

Microsoft Lens stopped letting users create new scans on 15 December 2025, after a phased retirement that began on 15 September 2025. If Lens is still on your phone, your old scans are safe for now — but you need a replacement, and a free browser scanner is the fastest one.

Microsoft Lens is shutting down (2026): best alternatives — Scanner.cam guide

Microsoft points Lens users to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which includes a scanner — but it drops some Lens features, and it still means installing an app and signing in.

Lens was the quiet favourite among scanner apps: free, fast, no watermark, and genuinely good at the job. Its retirement leaves millions of people looking for a replacement, often without realising the app has already stopped working. This guide covers the timeline, how to rescue your old scans, and the best alternatives — including one that needs no install at all.

When is Microsoft Lens shutting down?

15 September 2025 — retirement begins. Microsoft announced the phased shutdown of Lens on iOS and Android and stopped active development.
Mid-October 2025 — new installs disabled. Fresh downloads of Lens were switched off.
15 November 2025 — removed from app stores. Lens disappeared from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
15 December 2025 — scanning disabled. The app can no longer create new scans. This is the date that matters most: from here on, Lens is a viewer, not a scanner.

Try it as you readOpen the scanner in a new tab and follow along — free, no signup.

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Previously created scans remain viewable in the app — but only while Lens stays installed on your device. Delete the app, and your scans go with it.

What happens to your old scans

If Lens is still on your phone, your existing scans are not deleted — but they are stranded. The app will not be updated, will not receive security fixes, and cannot create anything new. Treat this as a migration, not a wait-and-see: export your scans now, while the app still opens, and move them somewhere durable.

Scans saved to OneDrive are the safest — they already live in your Microsoft account, independent of the app.
Scans saved only inside Lens need exporting before you delete the app or change phones.
Scans sent to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint are already in those apps and are unaffected.

How do I export my Lens scans before switching?

Open Lens while it still works. Do this before deleting the app or resetting your phone.
Open each scan or batch. Check whether it is already saved to OneDrive — if it is, you are done for that file.
Use Share or Export. Save each scan as a PDF to your phone, or send it to OneDrive, email, or your new scanner app.
Confirm the export. Open the exported PDF and check every page is there before you delete anything from Lens.
Delete Lens last. Only remove the app once every scan you care about is safely stored elsewhere.

The best alternatives to Microsoft Lens

Microsoft 365 Copilot app — Microsoft's official replacement. The Copilot app includes a Create → Scan flow that covers the basics, and it is free to use. The gap: it cannot save scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint the way Lens could, so heavy Office users will feel the loss.
Scanner.cam — the no-install option. A free browser scanner: open the page, scan, download a PDF. No app, no account, no watermark, and your documents never leave your device. The closest thing to Lens's old simplicity, without the install.
Google Drive scanner — built into Android. The Drive app's camera scan mode is free and saves straight to your Drive. Good if your files already live in Google's cloud.
Apple Notes — built into iPhone and iPad. The Notes app scans documents natively and saves them as PDFs. Free, no install, and already on your phone.

Switch in five minutes with a browser scanner

Open Scanner.cam in your phone's browser — no download, no sign-up.
Allow camera access and point the camera at your document.
Capture each page. The scanner straightens and cleans up every shot automatically.
Download the PDF. Save it to your phone, send it to OneDrive or Google Drive, or email it — your file, your choice.
Bookmark the page. It now behaves like an app on your home screen, without taking up storage or asking for updates.

Frequently asked questions

When did Microsoft Lens shut down?
Microsoft retired Lens in phases: the retirement began on 15 September 2025, the app left the app stores on 15 November 2025, and creating new scans was disabled on 15 December 2025.

Can I still use Microsoft Lens?
Only to view old scans, and only while the app stays installed on your phone. You cannot create new scans, and the app is no longer available to download.

What is Microsoft's replacement for Lens?
The Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which includes a scanning feature. It covers the basics, but it cannot save scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint the way Lens could.

How do I get my scans out of Lens?
Open Lens while it is still installed, find each scan, and use Share or Export to save it as a PDF or send it to OneDrive. Do this before deleting the app — once it is gone, your scans go with it.

Do I need to install another app to replace Lens?
No. A browser scanner like Scanner.cam works from any phone or desktop browser with nothing to install and no account. Open the page, scan, and download the PDF.

Try it right now — free

Open Scanner.cam in your browser, scan, and download. No signup, no watermark, nothing uploads.