The Windows desktop app Sway is being discontinued, and at the same time, a simplified way to add hyperlinks in Word is being rolled out.
Microsoft will definitively pull the plug on the Windows desktop app of Sway on June 1, 2026. The service itself will not disappear: users can continue to use Sway via the web version, while retaining all existing functionality and content.
What is Sway?
Sway is a lesser-known Microsoft app for creating presentations, reports, and newsletters. Unlike PowerPoint, Sway is completely cloud-focused and strongly focused on interactive and dynamic content, with easy support for embedding videos and images.
The Windows desktop app will disappear in 2026. The free productivity app has been around for more than a decade and was part of the Office and later Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Sway will remain available via the web version, with all features retained.
Adding hyperlinks becomes easier
There is better news for Word users. Microsoft is testing and rolling out a new feature that allows hyperlinks to be added more quickly. Until now, users had to use the Insert Link dialog box or rely on automatic link recognition after typing a URL.
With the new method, all you have to do is: copy a link, select the text, and paste the link. Word will then automatically convert the selected text into a clickable hyperlink.
Fewer clicks
According to Microsoft, the intention is to make operations as easy as possible. “Tasks that you perform daily in Word, such as adding hyperlinks, should be effortless,” Microsoft says in a statement. “By reducing the number of steps, users can better focus on their content rather than on the formatting.” The new hyperlink feature is now available in Word for web, on Windows from version 2511 and on macOS from version 16.104.