is microsoft publisher discontinued?

yes. microsoft said publisher would reach its end of life in october 2026, after which it is no longer included in microsoft 365 and existing on-premises suites are no longer supported.

can i still use publisher?

it depends on your version. microsoft says microsoft 365 subscribers lose access on or shortly after october 1, 2026, as the removal update rolls out. if you have the perpetual version, microsoft says you can still install and use it, although support ends.

can i still open my .pub files?

with a microsoft 365 subscription, microsoft says you can no longer open or edit them in publisher once it is removed. with the perpetual version, microsoft says you can still access and edit your files.

what should i use instead of publisher?

microsoft points to word and powerpoint for common jobs, such as flyers, brochures, business cards and calendars, and to word alone for envelopes, labels, letterhead and newsletters. it also says third-party programs such as affinity may be able to import native publisher files.

how do i find all my publisher files?

microsoft suggests a file search for .pub on your pc, onedrive or sharepoint. to convert many files at once, it offers a sample powershell script, meant to be modified and tested, that needs a working, licensed copy of publisher.

what happened to microsoft publisher? end of life explained

microsoft publisher reached its end of life in october 2026. microsoft's retirement page says microsoft 365 subscribers lose access to publisher on or shortly after october 1, 2026, as microsoft's removal update rolls out. people with a perpetual version can keep using it, though microsoft's support for it ends too.

this guide follows microsoft's page as we read it in november 2026. for finding old files in general, see how to find recently opened files on mac.

download the ReMynd desktop app to search text you saw in a focused window, by app and date.

who lost publisher, and who kept it?

it depends on how you got publisher. this table follows microsoft's retirement page.

your version	can you still use publisher?	can you open .pub files in publisher?
publisher for microsoft 365	no, once the removal update reaches you	no
a perpetual version, such as publisher 2021	yes, you can still install and use it	yes

for the perpetual version, microsoft said support would end on october 13, 2026, alongside the end of support for office ltsc 2021 and consumer office 2021. microsoft's page applies to publisher for microsoft 365 and publisher 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2007.

what happens to your publisher files?

microsoft recommends converting them to pdf or word. with a microsoft 365 subscription, microsoft says you can no longer open or edit .pub files using publisher. its page recommended converting them before the removal date.

to find them, microsoft suggests a file search for .pub on your pc, onedrive or sharepoint.

how do you convert a publisher file?

microsoft gives these steps to save a publisher file as a pdf:

open the publisher file.
go to file, then save as.
choose a location to save the file.
select pdf as the file type, then save.

to edit the content again, microsoft says to convert the pdf to word: open word, go to file, then open, open the pdf, and select ok in the dialog box. it warns that the layout may vary from the original, particularly with many graphics.

in our read, these steps start in publisher itself, so they need a copy that still opens. for many files, microsoft offers a sample powershell script, which it says is for instructional purposes and should be modified and tested for your needs, and which needs a working and licensed version of publisher installed.

what does microsoft suggest instead?

microsoft recommends word and powerpoint for common publisher jobs:

word or powerpoint: ads or flyers, brochures, certificates, business cards, calendars and greeting cards.
powerpoint: banners, signs and posters.
word: invoices and forms, envelopes, labels, letterhead, newsletters and folded paper projects.

microsoft also says third-party programs such as affinity may be able to import native publisher files, and that third-party conversion tools vary in quality and are not supported by microsoft.

where does ReMynd fit?

in microsoft's work trend index, published may 9, 2023, which surveyed 31,000 full-time employed or self-employed workers in 31 markets, 62% of respondents said they struggle with spending too much of their workday searching for information. the same survey found 86% were looking for ai to help find the information and answers they need.

ReMynd records your screen, runs ocr locally with apple vision on a mac, and keeps a searchable index on your computer. text comes from the focused window only, and video covers windows you have not excluded. in our view, it helps when you remember a flyer's wording but not which file it was in.

press control space to search in plain language, refine by app, date or source, and jump to an exact moment, provided ReMynd was running then and the window was not excluded. on a mac it needs macos 14 or later on an apple silicon mac. ReMynd also runs on windows 11 (x64 or arm64). for screen history, see find something you saw on your screen, and for apps that moved on a mac, what happened to skype on mac.

limits of this guide

it follows microsoft's retirement page; we did not test publisher, the conversion steps or the script.
microsoft says the removal rolls out on or shortly after the date; in our read, the exact day may differ by account.
third-party apps such as affinity are named by microsoft, not tested by us.

ReMynd is photographic memory for your computer. forgot where you saw something? just ReMynd it.

download the ReMynd desktop app and search what you saw in a focused window, by app and date.