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Microsoft is putting an end to Microsoft Publisher – and from October 2026, it’ll be gone for good. 💔

If you’ve never used it, this won’t bother you. But if you rely on Publisher to make flyers, brochures, newsletters, or other marketing materials for your business, it’s time to start planning for life without it.

Let’s be honest: Publisher was never the superstar of the Microsoft 365 lineup. It was first launched in 1991! And has been sitting in the shadows of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for years. But for people who did use it, it was a simple, no-fuss tool for creating content without needing fancy graphic design skills. 🎨

It’s happening because Microsoft is simplifying its software lineup. Instead of updating Publisher, it’s pushing you towards other tools that can do the same job (and, in many cases, do it better).

So, what should you use instead?

📌 Microsoft Word & PowerPoint: If you need to create flyers, posters, or business documents, both Word and PowerPoint have built-in templates that can get the job done.

📌 Microsoft Designer: A newer tool from Microsoft, built for modern, AI-assisted graphic design. It’s designed to replace Publisher for things like creating marketing materials.

📌 Canva: If you want something user-friendly, Canva is a great alternative. It’s cloud-based (which means you can access your designs from anywhere) and offers a huge library of templates. The free version is packed with features, but there’s also a paid version for more advanced tools.

📌 Adobe Express: A lightweight online version of Adobe’s design tools, great for quick and professional-looking graphics.

If you have important .PUB files saved in Publisher, now’s the time to convert them into a more accessible format. Microsoft recommends exporting files as PDFs to preserve their layout, or as Word documents if you need to edit the text. There are also online tools that can convert Publisher files to images if you just need a quick visual copy.

While Publisher’s exit won’t affect most businesses, it’s a reminder that tech moves fast, and we need to stay ahead of the changes. If you’re still relying on old tools, it might be time to explore newer, more flexible options that will keep your business running smoothly for years to come. 🔎

Are you still using Publisher, or have you already moved on to something else?

Well, it’s official… Microsoft has pulled the plug on Android SMS integration in Teams. 😬

If you’ve been using Teams to send and receive text messages from your Android phone… not any more.

And if you’re sitting there thinking, “wait… I could use Teams to send texts??” you’re not alone.

This was one of those “hidden gem” features that most people never knew existed. But for those who did, it was super handy. Imagine being able to handle all your work chats, customer messages, and even personal texts without having to touch your phone. 🏆

So, why is Microsoft removing SMS from Teams?

It’s not about bugs or security issues. It’s just part of Microsoft’s reshuffle, possibly also linked to them retiring Skype this year.

Teams is evolving, and it looks like Android SMS doesn’t fit the vision. Instead, Microsoft wants everyone to switch over to Phone Link, which is already built into Windows 11.

To be fair, Phone Link is good. It still lets you send and receive texts from your PC. It’s just that now you’ll have to open a separate app instead of managing everything inside Teams. Not exactly a huge deal, but it’s still one extra step… and who asked for more steps?! 😅

If you’re one of the people who used this feature, it’s time to make the switch to Phone Link. It pairs with your Android device via the Link to Windows app. And while it won’t be quite as seamless, it’s the closest replacement you’ll get.

For businesses, this could mean a small change in workflow, especially if your employees were using Teams for SMS. Might be worth a quick heads-up so nobody’s caught off guard when they can’t find the feature.

Will you miss this, or is it a case of "meh, never used it anyway"?

If you’ve been using Copilot in Microsoft Edge, you probably already know how helpful it can be. Whether it’s drafting emails, summarizing long reports, or brainstorming blog ideas – it’s like having an assistant who doesn’t mind doing any of the boring stuff. 🥱

And now Microsoft’s dropped a new feature that makes Copilot even more useful: A “Share” button. It lets you pass your AI chats along to colleagues with a couple of clicks. No copying, pasting, or messy screenshots required.

If you’re new to this, Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant. It uses the same tech behind ChatGPT, and it’s built into everything from Word and Excel to Edge. It’s your AI-powered sidekick, helping you get things done faster.

With Copilot, you can:

💬 Chat directly in Edge to get help with research, creating drafts, or summarizing content.

🙋‍♀️ Ask complex questions and get clear answers, without the jargon.

🤔 Use “Think Deeper” to break down complicated problems or strategies (without needing a degree in data science).

With the new Share button, you can now send these AI interactions to your team.

For instance, let’s say you’ve asked Copilot to help you draft a pitch for a new project. You get some solid ideas and want to run them by your people. Here’s what you do:

✅ Click “Share” in the Copilot chat pane.

✅ Copy the link that pops up.

✅ Paste it into a Teams chat, email, or any other internal communication tool.

When they click the link, they’ll see the entire AI conversation - context, follow-up questions, all of it. It’s like inviting them into a live brainstorming session without having to set up a meeting. 🙌

If you’ve ever wasted half a morning summarizing stuff for your colleagues, this feature is for you. Now you can share AI-generated insights, drafts, and even complex analyses in seconds. And because everything’s right there in the chat, your team get all the context without a million back-and-forth questions.

The new Share feature is also perfect for:

📚 Training new hires: Found a great explanation in Copilot? Share it instead of having to write it all out.

🗣️ Getting feedback fast: Share AI-generated drafts or reports and get input without clogging up your inbox.

📧 Keeping remote teams in the loop: No more “I’ll fill you in later” messages. Just share the chat link and keep things moving.

As for security? Microsoft’s got that covered too. These links are only shareable within your business by default, so you don’t have to worry about sensitive info leaking out. 🔒

If you’re already using Copilot, the new Share button is worth trying out. And if you’re not using it yet, well… what are you waiting for? 😉

Can you think of any clever ways you’d use this feature with your team?

Ever had your computer slow to a crawl for no apparent reason? Or used an app that just won’t close no matter what you do? 🤯

That’s where Task Manager comes in: It’s the built-in Windows control center for managing everything running on your machine.

But Task Manager isn’t just for fixing frozen apps. It’s a powerful tool that helps you monitor system performance, manage Startup apps, and even improve your PC’s speed.

If you’re running Windows 11 in your business, this is one tool you and your team should get comfortable with.

So, what exactly is Task Manager? 🖥️

Think of it as your computer’s dashboard. It shows you everything happening under the hood: What’s running, how much power each app is using, and what might be slowing things down.

To open it, just press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Or right-click the Start button and select Task Manager.

You’ll see a list of apps, background processes, and system performance stats all in one place.

If you don’t already use Task Manager, here’s how it can help your business…

✅ It fixes frozen apps instantly.

Instead of restarting your entire computer when something stops responding, just open Task Manager, find the app, and click End Task to force close it.

✅ It could speed up your PC.

If your computer seems slow, Task Manager can show you which apps are using too much CPU or memory, so you can shut them down and free up resources.

✅ It helps you manage Startup apps.

Ever noticed your PC takes forever to start up? That’s because some apps launch automatically when you turn it on. Task Manager lets you disable unnecessary Startup apps, so your system boots up faster.

✅ It tracks performance in real time.

Need to know if your computer is struggling? The Performance tab shows how much CPU, memory, and network bandwidth is being used, helping you spot potential issues before they slow down your work.

✅ It lets you monitor who’s logged in.

The Users tab shows who has logged in and what apps they’re running, which can be useful for shared office devices.

A slow, unresponsive computer isn’t just frustrating – it means lost productivity and wasted time. ❌ Teaching your team how to use Task Manager can help them troubleshoot small issues on their own instead of waiting for IT support.

Better still… since it’s built into Windows 11, you don’t need any extra software to monitor performance or manage apps. 😁

Have you ever used Task Manager to speed up your computer? If not, is this something you’ll try in future?