On December 31 of this year, support for Windows Mail will disappear. Although this was already known, it’s now clear that the application will also become unusable from that date onward. Microsoft advises users to use the new Outlook app.
“After December 31, 2024, users will no longer be able to send and receive email using Windows Mail and Calendar”, Microsoft said on its support page. The app, which mostly ended up on users’ PCs through the default installation of Windows 10 or 11, has been sending messages to users for months to update to the newer Outlook app. Sometimes, this happens automatically, and many users have seen an earlier expiration date for Windows Mail.
Exporting local data
The only functionality that will remain is the ability to export local emails, calendar events, and contacts. For this purpose, the Outlook for Windows app also allows you to switch back to the old application via Settings > General > About Outlook.
It is far from the first service that Microsoft is disabled in this way. Last year, for example, it quietly announced that Windows Mixed Reality would no longer be supported. However, the functionality of this VR platform is gone for good when users update to Windows 11 24H2, so headsets simply no longer work on the PC in question.
Read more: Windows Mixed Reality reaches end-of-life in 2026
Windows 10 end date approaches
A more critical switch for users will be the migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Although the new OS is gradually gaining market share, the earlier operating system still remains in widespread use. And that’s even though Windows 10’s end date is less than 12 months away.