All articles tagged with #deprecation
Meta will discontinue support for Messenger on Windows and Mac after December 15, 2025, prompting users to switch to alternatives like WhatsApp, Signal, or Session, with guidance on backing up chat history and exploring more secure messaging options.
Microsoft has officially deprecated PowerShell 2.0 in Windows, ending its long-standing presence for modern Windows 11 and Windows Insider builds, encouraging users to upgrade to newer versions like PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7.x.
Microsoft Authenticator is warning users that its password autofill feature will be deprecated by July 2025, advising them to export passwords or switch to Microsoft Edge for autofill functionality, with a timeline indicating the gradual discontinuation of the feature starting June 2025.
Microsoft announced the deprecation of Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) on Windows 11, effective March 5, 2025, rendering Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 and all WSA-reliant apps unsupported. Amazon has accelerated this by discontinuing Amazon Appstore for Windows 11 on March 6, 2024, a year ahead of WSA's end. Despite the lack of Google Play support, users can still use existing Amazon Appstore apps until 2025, but alternatives like BlueStacks may offer better options for running Android apps on Windows 11.
Meta will deprecate the Facebook News tab in the US and Australia in April 2024, following its previous deprecation in the UK, France, and Germany. The decision is part of an effort to focus on products and services that users value most, such as short form video, as the number of people using Facebook News has dropped significantly. However, news publishers can still post links to their stories and leverage other features like Reels and ads. Meta also reaffirms its commitment to connecting people to reliable information through partnerships with fact-checking organizations and continued investment in combating misinformation.
Microsoft has announced the deprecation of several legacy features in Windows 11 and Windows 10, including WordPad, Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool, Cortana, Steps Recorder, and Windows Mixed Reality, among others. These features will be phased out in 2023 or beyond, with future updates handling their removal. The decision to retire these components has sparked surprise and disappointment among users, as some of the tools, while not frequently used, are still considered handy.
Microsoft is discontinuing its Windows Mixed Reality (MR) PC VR platform, which failed to gain widespread adoption among PC VR gamers. The MR headsets, which were actually VR-only, had limited tracking quality and less ergonomic controllers compared to competitors like Oculus Quest. The low price and versatility of Quest headsets made them the preferred choice for buyers. Microsoft's official deprecation notice states that Windows Mixed Reality will be removed in a future release of Windows, as the company shifts its XR focus to a software-based partnership with Meta.
Microsoft has announced that it will no longer develop VBScript, a scripting language that debuted in 1996, and plans to remove it entirely from a future release of Windows. VBScript, which was widely used among system administrators to automate tasks, was overshadowed by PowerShell in 2006. Despite being available in Microsoft-exclusive environments, VBScript failed to gain support from other browser makers, leading web developers to prefer JavaScript for client-side tasks.
Reddit now allows users to translate posts into eight different languages on its iOS and Android apps and web platform. The translation feature is currently available for posts, with plans to expand to comments in the future. Reddit is using Google services for translations. Additionally, Reddit is deprecating its previous coins system, which will no longer allow users to give awards. The company has not yet shared details about the new awards system, but there is speculation that it may involve turning gold or Reddit karma into real money.