Windows Phone 8.1's mainstream support is ending tomorrow

If you still happen to own a Windows Phone running Windows Phone 8.1, it’s time to upgrade. Microsoft is set to drop mainstream support for the OS tomorrow, the 11th of July. Windows Phone 8.1 is still powering the majority of Windows Phone devices in the world, despite Windows 10 Mobile’s release. In fact, more than 70% of Windows Phone users are still running the outdated OS.

To this day, Microsoft requires most Windows Phone 8.1 users to install the Upgrade Advisor app on their phone in order to upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile. Unless someone reads Windows Phone news, they probably aren’t aware of the app and are still running Windows Phone 8.1. Whether Microsoft will release the Windows 10 Mobile update to all Windows Phone 8.1 users isn’t known, but it probably isn’t happening.

Microsoft stated on its product lifecycle support page that the company will continue to release updates to Windows Phone 8.1 for a minimum of 36 months after the lifecycle start date, which was 24th June 2014. Those 36 months have already passed, but it’s likely Microsoft will continue to release minor security patches over the coming months.

“Microsoft will make updates available for the Operating System, including security updates, for a minimum of 36 months after the lifecycle start date. These updates will be incremental, with each update built on the update that preceded it. Customers need to install each update in order to remain supported. The distribution of these incremental updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone, and installation will require that your phone have any prior updates. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities.”

If you are still running Windows Phone 8.1, you can follow our guide to get Windows 10 Mobile.