Quick answer: Microsoft 365 subscribers lost Publisher on or shortly after 1 October 2026. Support for one-off (perpetual) copies, such as Office 2021, ended on 13 October 2026. Your .pub files aren't deleted, and you can still open and edit them for free in Free Pub Editor.
What are the key dates?
All dates come from Microsoft's support article, "Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026".
| Date | What happened | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1 October 2026 | Microsoft's deadline to convert files using Publisher | Everyone |
| 1 October 2026 (rolling out) | Publisher removed from Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 subscribers |
| 13 October 2026 | Support ends for perpetual Publisher, as Office LTSC 2021 and Office 2021 reach end of support | One-off Office licences |
| After October 2026 | No updates or security fixes for any Publisher version | Everyone still running it |
Microsoft summed it up in one line: "In October 2026, Microsoft Publisher will reach its end of life."
What happened to Microsoft 365 subscribers?
Microsoft says subscribers "will not be able to access Publisher on or shortly after October 1, 2026", with the removal arriving as an update. After that, Publisher can't be reinstalled through a subscription, and subscribers can't open .pub files with it.
What happened to one-off (perpetual) licences?
If you bought Office or Publisher outright, the app doesn't disappear. Microsoft's FAQ says that although support ends, "you will still be able to install and use the app beyond this date." The catch is that it gets no more fixes, including security fixes, so it becomes riskier to keep on a computer connected to the internet over time.
What happens to my .pub files?
Nothing happens to the files themselves. They don't expire, and nothing deletes them from your computer, OneDrive or SharePoint. The problem is that most people no longer have anything that opens them. For subscribers, Microsoft is clear that they "will no longer be able to open or edit these files in Microsoft Publisher."
Microsoft's advice was to convert files to PDF or Word before the deadline. If you missed it, that's fine: you can still open your files in other tools.
What did Microsoft recommend instead?
- For new work: Word and PowerPoint for brochures, business cards, calendars, labels and newsletters, and Microsoft Create for templates.
- For existing files: in Publisher, choose File → Save as and pick PDF. To edit in Word, open that PDF in Word.
- For lots of files: Microsoft mentions using "a PowerShell script or other automation" for bulk export, which still needs Publisher installed.
None of Microsoft's suggested apps opens .pub files directly. Our post on what replaced Publisher compares the apps that do.
What should I do now?
- Find your files. Search for .pub on your computer, OneDrive and SharePoint, as Microsoft suggests.
- Open the ones you still use in Free Pub Editor. It's free and runs in your browser; files aren't uploaded.
- Export a PDF of each for a permanent copy anyone can open (how to).
- Save an editable copy of anything you'll update again, such as a newsletter or certificate template.
- Keep the original .pub files as a backup.
For a fuller walkthrough of options, see Microsoft Publisher has been retired: what now?