Major Microsoft U-turn could convince you to stick with Windows 10

It’s no secret that Microsoft is calling time on Windows 10. First launched in 2015, the software will no longer be updated as of October 14, 2025, and Microsoft is on a big push to get users of the decade-old operating system to upgrade to Windows 11 - be it via a free update or by purchasing a new PC.

The latest figures from Statcounter show that 53 percent of Windows users globally are on Windows 10, with Windows 11 behind on 44 percent. That’s a smaller gap than in previous months, but Microsoft has been announcing changes that will have driven users to upgrade to the newer version.

One of these changes was announced in January when Microsoft said it would stop supporting all Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 from October 14, the date it will also stop sending updates to Windows 10.

This implied apps on Windows 10 such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, used by millions worldwide, would no longer receive feature and security updates, meaning they could become unsafe to use.

“Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices,” Microsoft said in January. “To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11.”

This hardline approach to the deadline may have contributed to some Windows 10 users updating their PCs to Windows 11, which is offered for free. You just need to make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements, or you could encounter performance issues.

But, as spotted by Neowin, Microsoft may have had a change of heart.

In a document on its website entitled ‘Windows 10 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps’ dated May 8, 2025, Microsoft states:

“To help maintain security while you transition to Windows 11, Microsoft will continue providing security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 for three years after Windows 10 reaches end of support. These updates will be delivered through the standard update channels, ending on October 10, 2028.”

Microsoft caveats this by adding that “using an unsupported operating system can cause performance and reliability issues when running Microsoft 365 Apps”, but the three year extension represents a U-turn from the company.

As XDA Developers points out, Microsoft’s documentation on the matter previously stated:

“... Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices. To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11.”

Microsoft 365 is the firm’s subscription service that gives buyers access to its Office suite of applications. Prices start from £1.99 per month but increase if you want access to the software on multiple devices, want more OneDrive cloud storage, need to use CoPilot AI, and more options.

If you pay for Microsoft 365, after October 14, 2025 you will stop receiving new features in software updates to all apps on Windows 10, but you’ll get three additional years of security patches, which should keep the software safe to use.

Upgrade to Windows 11 with the same subscription and Microsoft will deliver all software updates, including those that bring Office apps the newest features.