Microsoft Is Killing Its Free Visio Diagram Viewer App on iOS

Microsoft is set to stop offering its app that allows Visio diagrams and flowcharts to be viewed on iOS for free.

AsThe Register reports(Opens in a new window), in a Tech Community post on Monday, Microsoftannounced(Opens in a new window)自由Microsoft Visio Viewer app(Opens in a new window)currently available in the App Store will be "retired and removed" on Aug. 14.

The app will continue to work after that date for anyone who already has it installed, but Microsoft says that over time it will break due to its integration with services such asOneDriveand SharePoint. There will be no option to reinstall it, either.

The app allows iOS users to view and interact with Visio diagrams on their iPhone or iPad, as well as share them with others. It's a useful app to have available if someone sends you a Visio file as an email attachment, for example, or for anyone who needs to view such files but doesn't need to create or modify them. Unsurprisingly, the app has a high App Store rating of 4.5 out of 5.

So why is Microsoft killing it? Because the team is focusing on the Visio for the web experience instead, which does allow for free viewing of Visio files, but you have to jump through some potentially undesirable hoops to make it work. As Microsoftexplains(Opens in a new window)on its support page, viewing Visio files for free requires signing in to yourMicrosoft 365account and uploading files to OneDrive.

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Anyone who pays for a Microsoft 365 subscription can view and create Visio files through a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are all supported). There's also a couple of Visio premium plans available, which cost $5/month (Visio Plan 1) and $15/month (Visio Plan 2), and offer additionally functionality beyond that offered with a 365 subscription. Microsoft does provide acomparison of the versions(Opens in a new window)and features available within each.

For iOS users, it seems they are set to lose an app and gain a lot of hassle to achieve the same Visio diagram viewing experience they currently enjoy.

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