Microsoft is cleaning up one of its newer Windows 11 experiments, and this one barely had time to unpack its bags.

The company has confirmed that its Microsoft 365 companion apps—Calendar, People, and Files—will be retired on December 16, 2026. Microsoft introduced the lightweight companions as quick-access tools for Windows 11 users, putting calendar events, contacts, and Microsoft 365 files within easy reach from the taskbar.

And now they’re going away.

The three apps were designed as small, portrait-oriented windows that offered a more focused way to access Microsoft 365 information without opening the full applications. Microsoft launched the People and Files companions in March 2025, followed by Calendar in May. The company later added Copilot integration to the companions, making their relatively short lifespan even more interesting.

Microsoft’s retirement notice doesn’t give a detailed explanation for the decision. Instead, it simply describes the companions as an “additional way” to find calendar information, people, and files. In other words, Microsoft appears to have decided that Windows and Microsoft 365 already have enough places to do this.

For calendar and people information, Microsoft recommends going back to Outlook and Teams. For files, users can rely on Windows Search, File Explorer, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 experiences. Copilot can also help locate files, people, or calendar information when users only remember a few details about what they’re looking for.

The retirement won’t affect users’ actual data. Calendar events, contacts, and files aren’t stored inside these companion apps; they remain in the underlying Microsoft 365 services. Microsoft says removing the apps will not delete or otherwise affect that data.

Microsoft also says the apps may disappear before December 16, depending on when an organization removes them. Administrators are being asked to stop deploying the companions and uninstall them from managed devices. Microsoft has also stopped automatic installations through Microsoft 365 Apps updates.

For users on unmanaged Windows 11 PCs, Microsoft provides its own uninstall instructions. Removing one of the companion apps removes all three, either through Windows Settings or by searching for Calendar, People, or Files and uninstalling the app from Windows Search.

So, if you actually liked these tiny Microsoft 365 windows, enjoy them while they last. Microsoft 365 Calendar, People, and Files companions are officially on the retirement list—and apparently the taskbar has decided it has enough friends.