Microsoft Officially Ends Office 2021 Support on October 13, 2026 — No Security Patches, No Extensions
Microsoft said that they will stop helping people with
Office 2021 on October 13 2026. After this date Office 2021 will not get any
help to fix security problems, bugs. Get any technical support from Microsoft.
This will affect all versions of Office 2021 including Home & Student, Home
& Business and Professional.
Office 2021 will still work after support ends. Microsoft is
warning people that they might have security problems. If new issues are found
Microsoft will not fix them. This will leave computers open to things like
viruses and spyware.
What Ends on October 13 2026
Microsoft said that after the deadline people will not get:
v
Any more security patches
to protect against vulnerabilities
v
Any bug fixes or software
updates
v
Any technical support
v
Most online help content
will be removed over time
Microsoft said that they will not extend support for Office
2021 and there will be no Extended Security Updates program for it.
Why This Matters for Security
It is a risk to use software that is not supported.
Microsoft fixed 167 security problems in April 2026 including two that were
being used by hackers. When support ends any new security problems found in
Office 2021 will not be fixed.
Security experts are telling people to upgrade to a
supported version of Microsoft software to keep getting support and security
patches. The National Cyber Security Authority said that the end-of-life date
for Office 2021 is a time to upgrade.
What Are Your Options?
For people at home Microsoft is recommending that they
upgrade to a version of Office. There are two ways to do this:
Microsoft 365 which's a subscription that costs around $70
to $100 per year. This gives you the features, security updates and cloud
enhancements and you can install it on devices.
Office 2024 which you can buy once and own forever costs
around $120 to $150. This includes security updates and bug fixes. You can only
install it on one device. You will not get any new features after you buy it.
It is important to remember that you cannot upgrade from
Office 2021 to Office 2024 for free. You have to buy each version of Office.
How to Stay Safe If You Continue Using Office 2021
If you choose to keep using Office 2021 after support ends
experts are recommending that you take some precautions:
1.
Keep Office offline, which
means do not connect to the internet to avoid getting hacked.
2.
Keep your Windows updates
current to protect against security problems.
3.
Use security tools like
antivirus and anti-malware software to protect yourself.
4.
Be careful when opening
documents from people you do not know and scan them before you open them.
The Bigger Picture: Microsofts Subscription Push
Microsoft stopping support for Office 2021 is part of their
plan to get people to use their subscription-based Microsoft 365 services.
While you can still buy Office 2024 Microsoft is pushing their cloud-connected
subscription service.
For people Office 2021 was the version of Microsoft Office
that they could buy once and own forever without having to pay every month or
get new features they do not want. However with, than four months left before
the October 13 deadline people need to think about what they will do and plan
their next steps to avoid using software that is not supported by Microsoft and
Office 2021
