Where has the M365 Scanner gone again? August 2026.

Kevin Duncan 70 Reputation points
2026-08-20T06:46:25.1266667+00:00

August 2026 the new M365 Andriod app has removed most of the creative functions. Including the Scanner App.

I use the scanner app as a core function of my business on site doing surveys, take photo's of the house and save all into one document to share.

They removed the amazing office lens, added a watered down version into one drive and M365. At least M365 could handle photos from my phone and scanning documents. And now M365 have removed the app?

Please bring back scanner function ASAP and improve the one drive app so you can add photo's from your phone storage.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Android
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AI answer

2026-08-20T06:46:41.3933333+00:00

Microsoft Lens on Android and iOS is being retired. It starts retiring on January 9, 2026, is no longer supported after February 9, 2026, and is removed from Google Play and the Apple App Store on February 9, 2026. Scanning in the app continues only until March 9, 2026. After that, new scans can’t be created, though previous scans remain accessible if the app is still installed and signed in with the last active account.

The recommended replacement is the OneDrive mobile app. In OneDrive, scanning is available from:

  1. Open the OneDrive app.
  2. Select the + button.
  3. Select Scan photo.
  4. Save the scan to a location in OneDrive.

Relevant limitations from the current guidance:

  • OneDrive includes Scan to turn a document, whiteboard, business card, or photo into a PDF.
  • OneDrive does not support saving scans locally on the device.

The request to restore scanner features in the Microsoft 365 Android app is not addressed in the available guidance. The supported path in the current documentation is to use OneDrive for scanning.

References:

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TaoLi 110.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-08-22T10:47:20.3766667+00:00

I understand your point. The current OneDrive scanner is not a full replacement for the old Office Lens/Microsoft 365 scanner, especially for business use cases that require combining multiple photos, better document processing, and a faster field workflow.

At this time, Microsoft has retired Lens and removed some scanning capabilities from the Microsoft 365 app. There is no setting to restore the old scanner feature.

You can submit this feedback directly from the Microsoft 365 or OneDrive app (Help & Feedback) so the product team can see that users need the previous scanning features restored.

Microsoft feedback portal: https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback

For now, using a third-party scanner app such as Genius Scan is a practical workaround if you need the features that were available in Office Lens.

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TaoLi 110.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-08-21T16:35:14.2633333+00:00

Microsoft removed the scanner feature from the Microsoft 365 Android app because the old Microsoft Lens (Office Lens) app has been retired. Microsoft’s official replacement is the OneDrive mobile app scanner.

Please try: Open OneDrive app → tap + → select Scan → take photos/documents → save the file.

Official announcement: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lens/retirement-of-microsoft-lens

Please note that OneDrive Scan does not currently provide every feature that Office Lens had, so some users may notice missing functions. If your business workflow depends on those features, please send feedback through the OneDrive app (Me → Help & Feedback) to let Microsoft know which features are needed.

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  1. Maxi Salas 0 Reputation points
    2026-08-26T14:07:21.37+00:00

    I had the same problem. But Microsoft doesn't completely eliminate it. In fact, it can be enabled temporarily, at least. I'm not sure if it's a bug. It's actually quite simple.

    Thanks, Microsoft, for making us dependent on a bug.

    And we're paying for the service.

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