Microsoft is ending support for its 365 browser extension.
The extension, which has been downloaded by over 10 million Microsoft users across the Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome browsers, offered easy access to Microsoft 365 apps and documents through the web. The extension will be retired on January 15, 2024, and will be removed from the Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome web stores as an extension add-on.
Microsoft's accompanying blog wrote:
The Microsoft 365 browser extension (formerly named Office browser extension) is a free extension available on Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome that gives you access to your Microsoft 365 apps and documents on the web. This extension will reach retirement and end of support on January 15th, 2024. After this date, the extension will no longer receive security updates, non-security updates, bug fixes, or technical support."
Microsoft didn't provide a reason why the browser extension was ending. However, it's possible that the tech giant is trying to push users towards methods of accessing 365 apps, such as the Edge sidebar. That Microsoft added a button for its flagship AI-powered productivity tool Copilot to the Edge sidebar in recent months may also be a factor, as encouraging users to use the sidebar more frequently might also prompt them to test out Copilot's capabilities.
While that might push Edge users to use the browser sidebar — and potentially Copilot — there's no such option for Chrome users. That, again, could be a factor. Easy access to Microsoft 365 from a browser might not be a game-changing selling point that will galvanise millions of users to change to Edge from Chrome, but there might well be enough of a minority who appreciate the intuitiveness for it to matter to Microsoft in its push to get more users interacting with Copilot in particular.
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