Microsoft is to permanently hang up on its Mobile Plans app, directing users to the web and the Windows Settings app in the future.
The end of the road will come on February 27, 2026, when the app will be retired and stripped from Windows. After that, users should use the websites of cellular operators and Windows Settings to satisfy their cellular needs.
The Mobile Plans app was designed to help users connect Windows devices with cellular networks through mobile operators. Dating back to Windows 10, users could launch the app, select a mobile operator, and choose a plan that met their data needs. Scenarios include installing an eSIM profile, activating a physical SIM, or topping up a subscription’s balance.
According to Microsoft, the removal of the app is part of efforts to “streamline” the whole experience of getting online via a mobile operator. The company said: “When you purchase a plan on the site of participating carriers, Windows might prompt you via the Settings app to share your device’s cellular identifiers (like EID, IMEI) with the operator.
“With your consent, these details are securely passed to the carrier, so they can automatically provision your eSIM without you needing to type in codes or scan QR images.”
Windows isn’t quite there at the moment. The ability to share a device’s cellular identifiers is not yet available, but Microsoft expects it to release before the end of 2025.
The company has said that for “most” Windows users, the change should be convenient, which means that some users are likely to find it inconvenient, not least because the process flow is changing and not all mobile operators are sure to be on board. Microsoft noted that carriers would need to adapt their systems and websites to support the new functionality. It stated that it had been trialing the new flow with “selected operator partners.”
“All mobile operators with Windows data plan offerings are encouraged to participate in testing so that they’re ready by the time the app is retired.”
For the vast majority of Windows users, the removal of the Mobile Plans app will go unnoticed. For a few, however, it might represent an inconvenience and a change to their everyday workflow. ®