Microsoft owa mobile apps are being retired

The Microsoft OWA mobile apps, OWA for iPhone, OWA for iPad, and OWA for Android, will be retired as of May 15, 2018. The following FAQs provide additional details about the retirement plans and information about moving all users to Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android. For step-by-step instructions for setting up Outlook for iOS and Outlook for Android, go here: Outlook for iOS and Android Help Center.

What is the timeline for retiring the OWA mobile apps?

In April 2018, OWA for iPhone, OWA for iPad, and OWA for Android will be removed from the Apple's iTunes app store and the Google Play Store.

If you're using the OWA mobile apps and Office 365, you'll see a recurring in-app message notifying you when the app will be retired. You'll be offered a link to download Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android from the app stores.

On May 15, 2018, the OWA mobile apps will stop working. People using Office 365 who try to open the OWA mobile apps will be greeted with a message and a link to download Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android.

How do I prepare for the change?

Organizations using Office 365 whose users still use the OWA mobile apps have been notified via the Office 365 Message Center. Admins who received the Message Center notification should encourage users to switch to Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android.

Office 365 users who are using the OWA mobile apps will receive an in-app message telling them that they need to switch. Admins who've created internal documentation for the OWA mobile apps should update it to cover Outlook for iOS and Outlook for Android instead.

If your organization uses Exchange Server on-premises (that is, hosts its own Exchange servers rather than using Office 365) and you're using the OWA mobile app, you won't receive the in-app message. Your administrator should let you know that the OWA mobile apps will stop working on May 15, 2018 and that you can use Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android instead.

Minimum requirements for Outlook for iOS and Outlook for Android

The minimum requirements for Office apps on iOS or Android can be found here.

Will I lose any features when I move from an OWA mobile app to Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android?

For the past several years, Microsoft has focused on launching features customers need in Outlook for iOS and Outlook for Android. With an architecture fully powered by the Microsoft cloud, Outlook offers an effortless user experience and bolstered security.

Many features, including shared or delegate calendar access and the ability to view the Global Address List, are now included in the Outlook apps. Other features (like shared mailboxes) will be available by the end of 2018. In the meantime, the Outlook web experience is available from your browser on your mobile device.

How can admins identify OWA mobile app users through Exchange?

Exchange Server administrators can use the Exchange Management Shell to identify OWA mobile app users by running the following command:

PS C:\windows\system32> get-mobiledevice -OWAforDevices | fl UserDisplayName,DeviceType,DeviceUserAgent,FirstSyncTime