Exchange Web Services (EWS) retirement update
Versions captured by this deployment. Earlier versions and notices may be missing; first observed is not first published.
Action date
Microsoft tags this a retirement but gives no action date in the notice metadata. Any date is in the text below.
- Microsoft's start date
- 5 Feb 2026
- Last changed by Microsoft
- 5 Feb 2026
- First seen here
- 19 Oct 2026
- Versions seen
- 1
What the notice says
Microsoft's text, with its sections, lists and tables; source markup removedIntroduction
We're updating the timeline and process for the retirement of Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online. As previously announced, EWS will be retired in favor of Microsoft Graph, which offers improved security, modern authentication, and broader capability support. A phased disablement begins October 1, 2026, with permanent shutdown starting April 1, 2027.
When this will happen
- Phased EWS disablement begins: October 1, 2026
- Full and permanent EWS retirement: April 1, 2027
- EWS App AllowList feature availability: Coming soon (before retirement milestones)
How this affects your organization
Who is affected
- Organizations using custom or vendor applications that rely on EWS
- Workflows involving mail, calendar, or integrations that use EWS
- This change only impacts Exchange Online; Exchange Server (on-premises) is not affected
What will happen
- Beginning October 1, 2026, EWS will be blocked unless the tenant configures an AppID AllowList and sets EWSEnabled=True.
- Without admin action, Microsoft will set EWSEnabled=False and EWS apps will stop working. Tenant admins will be able to re-enable EWS if necessary.
- Temporary “scream tests” may occur before October 2026 to help identify dependencies.
- After April 1, 2027, EWS access will be permanently removed with no re-enablement.
- No changes are being made to EWS in Exchange Server (on-premises).
What you can do to prepare
- Review EWS usage in the Microsoft 365 admin center or using published scripts to identify dependent applications.
- Begin migrating any remaining EWS-based workflows to Microsoft Graph, which provides near-complete API parity.
- If EWS is required after October 2026, configure an AppID AllowList and set EWSEnabled=True before end of August 2026.
- Communicate these changes internally and update documentation.
Learn more:
Compliance considerations
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
What changed
Between the versions this installation saw, newest firstThis installation has seen one version of this notice, first on 19 Oct 2026. Later changes will show here.
Linked documentation
Microsoft pages the notice links toThe notice links to no Microsoft Learn or Support page that this installation reads.
Not confirmed here
What this page cannot tell you- Whether your tenant is affected: this is Microsoft's notice, not a check of your settings.
- Versions before 19 Oct 2026: this installation first saw the notice after Microsoft posted it.