Microsoft has lately been making sweeping changes to its product lineup, and the 35-year-old Publisher app is going to be discontinued as part of this overhaul.
Microsoft is undergoing major shifts as the tech giant looks to redesign its suite of products by adding premium features and incorporating AI in existing tools like the Paint app. The evolution has brought sweeping changes that have made Microsoft users wary of the new direction, ranging from the unfortunate demise of Skype to AI-induced price hikes for Microsoft 365. Largely, these changes reflect a landscape in which tech companies are shifting resources towards emerging technology markets. One change that dismayed longtime users was Microsoft’s announced discontinuation of one of its oldest applications, Microsoft Publisher. According to Microsoft’s lifecycle page, the company will officially cease supporting the application on October 1, 2026. In the intervening year, users are encouraged to convert all Publisher files to a different format, like a PDF or Word document. Microsoft’s support website provides helpful instructions on how to migrate Publisher documents into new formats, including a PowerShell script to automate the process.
Debuted in 1991 and packaged first with Office 97 Small Business Edition, Microsoft Publisher began as a response to applications like QuarkXPress, PageMaker, and InDesign.
