Microsoft says Windows 11 solved 'high percentage' of compatibility issues, kills Test Base

Microsoft has deprecated Test Base for Microsoft 365. This cloud-based Azure service for application testing has reached its end of life, and the company is urging users to export their data to avoid losing it before May 31, 2024 (everything will be deleted on June 1, 2024).

Microsoft recently published a notification about the service deprecation in the official list of deprecated features. In addition, there is a new blog post with more details and a separate FAQ page.

Test Base will reach EOL on May 31, 2024. The end-of-life (EOL) process for the Test Base for Microsoft 365 service started on March 4, 2024. From this date, no new features or updates are released for Test Base. Existing users will retain access to the service and their data until May 31, 2024. During this period, the service is available for testing, exporting data, and making necessary arrangements for the transition. Our team is dedicated to assisting you during this transition. If you have any feedback or questions regarding this decision, don't hesitate to contact our support team at testbase_support@microsoft.com.

Microsoft says it deprecated Test Base for Microsoft 365 because Windows 11 and its "continuous innovation" resolved "a high percentage of application compatibility issues." As a result, there is no longer a need for cloud-based app testing services. Now, Microsoft wants to reallocate its investments and resources to more important products.

Although there are no one-to-one alternatives to Test Base, Microsoft suggests App Assure for resolving compatibility issues, The Security Update Validation Program (this one provides early access to security patches in monthly cumulative updates for validation), and a bunch of self-host solutions, such as Azure DevTest Labs, Security Update Guide, and Office Deployment Tool.

You can learn more about the deprecation of Test Base for Microsoft 365 on the Microsoft Learn website.

Other recently deprecated features include Windows Subsystem for Android, TLS server authentication certificates with short RSA keys, and NPLogonNotify APIs.