Microsoft extends OneNote 2016 support until 2025 – and adds dark mode
Rescued from the brink
Microsoft has announced a change of heart when it comes to supporting the desktop Microsoft OneNote 2016 app. Support was due to end in October 2020, but now the company says that this is being extend by at least three years.
For most people, support will continue until October 10, 2023, and for anyone paying for extended support, the cut-off date is October 14, 2025.
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This brings OneNote 2016 in line with Office 2019, Microsoft says that the change of plan means that "You can continue using the version of OneNote that works best for you."
New features incoming
The good news for OneNote 2016 users doesn't end there. As The Verge reports, in addition to extending support beyond 2020, Microsoft is also going be continuing to add new features and options. Kicking things off is the arrival of dark mode, and this is rolling out to users right now.
The company says: "Using OneNote in this mode can improve readability in low light environments, increase legibility of the user interface as well as your notes, provide better contrast, and reduce eye strain. You might also use OneNote in Dark Mode simply as a personal preference".
For now, Microsoft isn't giving any hints about what other new additions might be making their way into OneNote 2016, but it says that "we'll keep listening to your feedback to make your OneNote better and better".
Another change worth noting is how OneNote 2016 will be made available. Starting in March 2020, the OneNote desktop app will be installed along with the likes of Word and Excel for anyone with a Office 365 subscription that includes the Office desktop apps.
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In the meantime, you can download OneNote 2016 here.
Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.
Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.
Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.