Big news for folks using the Microsoft 365 browser extension on Chrome or Edge – Microsoft’s pulling the plug on support soon. Yep, the deadline’s set for January 15, 2024, according to a blog post from Microsoft. After that, no more security updates will be rolled out for the extension.
What’s interesting is that Microsoft plans to yank the software from the Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome app stores, so downloading it won’t be an option anymore. They haven’t given a clear reason, but speculation is that it might be redundant since Microsoft Edge already packs in a lot of those features.
So, if you’re a Chrome user relying on this extension, you’ll need to scout for an alternative pretty soon.
Microsoft’s offering some guidance on removing this extension from your Edge browser before it becomes a security risk. They suggest diving into the app settings and hitting the uninstall button. But here’s the silver lining – you can still access the Microsoft 365 apps for free online at microsoft365.com. They even suggest bookmarking the page on your Chrome browser for quick access.
Also, Microsoft’s pointing users towards other tools that cover bits of the Microsoft 365 extension. Like, there’s the Microsoft Account extension for Single Sign-On. And if you’re into copying and pasting using the right-click menu in Microsoft 365, there’s an app with the same functionality available in the web store for Chrome and Edge.
But hey, using a bunch of different add-ons might come with its own set of risks – more add-ons could mean higher security risks and might gobble up more of your system’s resources. Just a heads-up on that front.
Stay safe out there, and if you’re using that extension, make sure to keep an eye out for alternatives before the January deadline hits!
