Publisher retiring

Juddville United Methodist Church 0 Reputation points
2026-09-17T16:23:42.6466667+00:00

I am aware that Publisher is retiring as of October 1st. However, some people are saying that we can still use it but will not be able to receive any support from them. Is this true?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Publisher | For business
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Elena-VH 1,730 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-17T16:39:32.6833333+00:00

    Dear Juddville United Methodist Church,

    I understand your concern; however, it depends on which version of Publisher you are using.

    If you are using Microsoft Publisher through a Microsoft 365 subscription, Publisher will be removed from Microsoft 365 on October 1, 2026. After that date, Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to use Publisher to open or edit Publisher files.

    If you are using a standalone or perpetual version, such as Publisher 2021, the application may continue to function after support ends. However, once it reaches end of support, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, security updates, or bug fixes for the product.

    For more information, you can refer to this link: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026

    User's image

    For this reason, Microsoft recommends converting important .pub files to other formats (such as PDF) before the retirement date and transitioning future work to applications like Word or PowerPoint where possible. For example:

    User's image

    I hope this information shared is helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-09-17T16:23:57.91+00:00

    For Microsoft 365 subscribers, that is not true. After October 1, 2026, Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365, and subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher.

    For the perpetual version of Publisher instead, support ends in October 2026, but it can still be installed and used beyond that date.

    So the distinction is:

    • Microsoft 365 Publisher: no access after October 1, 2026
    • Perpetual Publisher: can still be used after that date, but without support

    Microsoft also recommends converting existing .pub files before that date, such as to PDF or Word.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.