MC1182696 Microsoft Defender: Application Guard for Office is being removed
Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office was retired in April 2024 and is now being removed from Office. This change aligns with the end of support for Windows 11 version 23H2 and helps streamline the security experience for users. Documents that previously opened in Application Guard will now open in Protected View, maintaining strong protection against threats. When this will happen: Phase 1: Removal begins with Office version 2602 Current Channel: early February 2026 Monthly Enterprise Channel: April 2026 Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel: July 2026 Phase 2: Full removal with Office version 2612 Current Channel: early December 2026 Monthly Enterprise Channel: February 2027 Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel: July 2027 How this affects your organization: Who is affected: All Win32 users who previously used Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office. What will happen: Files that pr