Microsoft has announced that support for Office 2021 will end on October 13, 2026, after which the company will no longer provide security updates, bug fixes, technical assistance, or software improvements for the productivity suite.
The company said Office 2021 applications will continue to function after the support deadline, but users may face increased security and performance risks as newly discovered vulnerabilities will no longer receive patches.
Microsoft also confirmed that there will be no Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme for Office 2021, meaning users will not have the option to pay for additional security coverage after support ends.
According to the company, users will stop receiving protection against emerging threats such as malware, spyware, and other cyberattacks. Phone and chat-based technical support will also be discontinued, while online support resources may gradually be phased out.
The end-of-support policy applies to all editions of Office 2021. Microsoft advised home users to consider upgrading to a newer version of Office or migrating to Microsoft 365 to continue receiving security updates, feature enhancements, and cloud-based services.
For businesses, educational institutions, and enterprise customers, Microsoft said upgrade plans may vary depending on organisational IT policies and deployment strategies.
The announcement reflects Microsoft’s ongoing shift toward its subscription-based Microsoft 365 platform, which receives continuous updates and new features. The company urged users to review their upgrade options ahead of the October deadline to avoid running unsupported software.
