Microsoft sets deadline for non-Microsoft apps to switch from EWS to Graph

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced that it will block Exchange Web Services (EWS) requests from non-Microsoft applications to Exchange Online starting October 1, 2026. The tech giant made the announcement this week, giving Exchange Online users over three years to prepare for the change.

Since 2018, Microsoft has been encouraging its Exchange Online users to transition from EWS to Microsoft Graph for data access. The company had previously disclosed that EWS in Exchange Online would no longer receive feature updates, and this latest announcement provides a clear timeline for when EWS requests from non-Microsoft apps will be disallowed.

In a blog post, Microsoft clarified that the changes only apply to Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online across all environments and will not affect EWS in Exchange Server. The company also assured users that Outlook for Windows or Mac, Teams, and other Microsoft products would remain unaffected by these changes.

Despite the upcoming block on EWS requests, Microsoft stated that the EWS components of the service will continue to receive security updates and some unspecified non-security updates. It also emphasized that EWS remains available and supported in production environments.

However, Microsoft is urging users to transition to Microsoft Graph to access their Exchange Online data. The company acknowledged that there are some feature gaps between EWS and Graph, including access to archive mailboxes, Folder Associated Information / User Configuration, and Exchange Online Management. It is actively working on these aspects for Graph and plans to provide an updated timeline in the coming months.

Microsoft is also considering adding Access to Public Folders, a feature currently available in EWS, to Graph. As part of this evaluation process, it is soliciting feedback on how users utilize EWS with public folders.

While Microsoft is striving to incorporate as many EWS features into the Graph API as possible, it conceded that some functionalities might not be transitioned to Microsoft Graph.

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