Microsoft Classic Teams End of Life and Availability in 2025
Users who still hang on to the classic Teams may not know that it has been almost a year since the Microsoft Classic Teams end of life happened.
It was during the start of July 2024 (01/07/2024) that Microsoft put the classic version in its non-support phase, and exactly a year later, i.e., on 1st July 2025, that the end of availability happens.
This means any old links still containing the classic edition installer will be removed. So, even if you somehow get a copy of the classic version with a Wayback machine or third-party websites, it will be nothing but a blank copy. Moreover, the old edition you have on your drive will trigger a built-in kill switch that stops it from connecting to the cloud service entirely.
See the Official Microsoft Classic Teams End-of-Life Timeline: All Key Dates
Microsoft didn’t just announce that from tomorrow, all classic apps will stop working. Instead, it was decided to do a phased end of support. This was to give ample time to users and organizations to make the necessary changes according to their own pace.
Plus, there is not just one Teams classic, which means there is not just one end date. Apart from the different dates for “End of Support” and “End of Availability.” It’s also crucial to distinguish between standard users and those on virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI). Here is a Table that can help you with that:
Other than what’s on the table, there are(or were) some more important deadlines for unsupported Operating Systems:
On October 23, 2024, the classic Teams client had already stopped working entirely for anyone using:
- Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1
- macOS Sierra (10.12), High Sierra (10.13), or Mojave (10.14)
Will Microsoft Teams Classic Still Work After 1st July?
In plain, simple words, No. The classic edition of Teams will stop loading entirely.
Last year, when we crossed the Microsoft Classic Teams end-of-life date, it remained available for use. This was even when all official support from Microsoft ceased.
However, this time it’s different. Microsoft Teams Classic will no longer be available for download, and the preinstalled instances of the app on your device will stop working as well. It will appear as if the Teams chat itself has disappeared from the UI.
Any old links containing the classic edition that are still not removed from Microsoft’s websites will either not work or download the new edition instead.
All of this tells us that transition is a must, but is it for all? Some users may have set their Teams apps to auto-upgrade. So it is important to know what version of Teams on have. It is quite easy, as you will see.
What to Know Which MS Teams Version You Have Right Now?
To determine if you are on the classic or new Teams client, follow these simple steps:
- Open your Teams application.
- Click the three dots (…) next to your profile picture and select Settings > About Teams.
- Check the version details. The new Teams client will prominently display a “New” tag in the title bar or have a version number starting with “24…” (e.g., 24124.1412.2874.396). The classic client lacks the “New” tag and has a version number starting with “1.”.
Why Update Before Microsoft Teams Classic’s End of Availability Happens
The new version brings in all sorts of advantages, a few of which are listed below.
- App launch time and meeting delays are cut down by half (2x increase)
- Less strain on your device as the new version uses way less memory (50% less)
- When you switch between channels and chats, the data loads 1.7 times faster.
- Every meeting note and chat session you have can be made into a summarised cheatsheet for a glance.
- Automated meeting minutes formation.
For all individual users, they need not do anything; the application will update on its own. For a safer side, visit the official Microsoft Teams page and install a copy. Even the Teams privacy settings update automatically.
Organizations that have a complicated Teams deployment and require some migration between the channels that may extend beyond the end of availability need professional support.
You will find it right here in this write-up.
What You Need For an Error-Free Teams Upgrade
The SysTools Teams Migrator Software is the one-shot solution in all such scenarios where data from two different Teams’ channels is to be put together.
Even when the classic edition is going through its final phase, and even after the 1st July 2025 deadline, the tool will still be able to pull data from a source chat and deposit it into the correct destination.
Here is how the tool works in brief:
Step 1. Launch and select Microsoft 365 as both endpoints, scroll till you see Teams, select it, then press Next.
Step 2. Validate source and destination admin credentials one after the other.
Step 3. Map users and teams to their destination accounts, and validate the permissions.
Step 4. Start the migration process and monitor the transfer of chats, channels, and files.
Conclusion
Here we got to know that Microsoft Classic Teams’ end of life happened a year back, and soon the end of availability will also be applied.
That is why users who are still on the classic edition must upgrade ASAP. Microsoft has made it super easy to switch; all you need to do is install the latest version.
If, for some reason, during the transition from classic to new Teams, you have to reorganize the team channels and chat, or are joining forces with another organization that is already on the new edition, that uses the Teams Migration utility prescribed in the text. It will help you out greatly.