As of Feb. 28, Microsoft Defender prospects will lose entry to the VPN that got here with the subscription. Billed as “the privateness safety characteristic,” the VPN included within the subscription remoted Microsoft 365 purposes for extra safety. It was launched in 2023.

Why did Microsoft take away the VPN characteristic?

“Our aim is to make sure you, and your loved ones stay safer on-line,” an nameless Microsoft worker wrote within the end-of-support notification. “We routinely consider the utilization and effectiveness of our options. As such, we’re eradicating the privateness safety characteristic and can spend money on new areas that can higher align to buyer wants.”

Studying between the traces, the assertion might imply the VPN didn’t see large buyer adoption. Microsoft’s VPN didn’t let prospects select a location for his or her web connection, that means it couldn’t be used for probably the most widespread client use instances: streaming country-gated media.

No different options of Microsoft Defender will change.

SEE: How are you going to inform in case your VPN is working correctly? 

Do Microsoft 356 customers have to take any motion?

Microsoft 365 customers shouldn’t have to take any motion, though Android customers may need to. Microsoft will take away the VPN characteristic from Home windows, iOS, and macOS customers mechanically. Android customers can take away the VPN profile from their machine if they like. Conserving the VPN profile will neither negatively affect the machine nor hold the VPN lively. To take away the VPN profile, go to Settings > VPN > Microsoft Defender and faucet the identify to take away it.

The brand new value contains Copilot in Microsoft 365

Home windows Central, which noticed the end-of-support notification for the VPN, identified Microsoft elevated costs for Microsoft 365 Private and Household subscriptions just some days in the past. The elevated value comes with the addition of the generative AI assistant, Copilot. The $1.99 month-to-month Fundamental plan, which doesn’t include Copilot, was not affected by the worth hike.

Microsoft Defender requires a Microsoft Private or Household subscription. It gives:

  • Information and machine safety.
  • Credit score monitoring within the U.S. solely.
  • Id theft monitoring within the U.S. solely.
  • Risk alerts.

Equally to Microsoft’s value improve, Google elevated the price of Workspace by just a few {dollars} to make the Gemini chatbot out there by default.