Countdown to Goodbye: Microsoft to Discontinue Chrome Extension in 2024

Microsoft has expanded into a business-oriented software company with products like Microsoft 365, which bring all popular Microsoft tools under one subscription. It even has an extension that can be used in Chrome and Edge to give you quick access to any of these apps.

But now the company has decided to end support for this extension, which according to its support documents will start on January 15, 2024. Chrome extensions come in all shapes and sizes and serve people with different features, but we’re not sure why Microsoft has decided that its Microsoft 365 extension , with over 10 million users, is being shut down.

The company has also informed users that after January 2024, the extensions will be removed from the corresponding online stores, and they will not receive any other security updates, bug fixes or technical support from the company.

Chrome and Edge users have been advised to remove the extensions before the deadline, and can do so manually by going to the browser’s settings, where you’ll find the Manage Extensions tab. But how big a deal is this plugin that has been used by 10 million users over the years?

The Microsoft 365 extension is a shortcut that allows Chrome and Edge users to access other apps, documents, and files. So now that the extension is losing official support, how can Microsoft users use these tabs? Microsoft says you can still access Microsoft 365 apps for free, too, but online through www.microsoft365.com, which can be bookmarked in the Chrome or Edge browser for quick access on a mobile device or computer.

The company has been in the news recently for other developments, one of which would have made Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the head of Microsoft’s artificial intelligence research group. But after a whirlwind 48 hours, Altman is back at OpenAI with his original team and is driving forward progress in the world of artificial intelligence with the support of Satya Nadella and his company.