All plants that use Microsoft apps on the HoloLens 2 to provide work instructions or remote support need a Dynamics 365 Guides alternative. Microsoft will end support for Dynamics 365 Guides and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist on December 31, 2026, and after that both apps will no longer work. This affects plant management, maintenance, service and IT management in mechanical and plant engineering, the supplier industry and intralogistics, where these tools are used to organize setup procedures, maintenance, training or support for service technicians.
As of December 31, 2026, Guides and Remote Assist will no longer be available, and according to Microsoft, the data remains in Dataverse. Treat the two tasks separately. For remote support, spatial annotations in Teams Mobile are often enough, provided at least one person on the call has a Dynamics 365 Field Service license. Work instructions move to a third-party solution or to your own worker guidance system that knows order and machine data. Export all guides before the deadline.
Dynamics 365 Guides End of Support: What Ends on December 31, 2026
According to Microsoft's lifecycle announcement, after December 31, 2026, there will be no more security updates, no other updates, no bug fixes, and no technical support, and the apps will no longer work. Subscriptions could only be purchased or renewed through November 1, 2025 (Microsoft Lifecycle).
According to Microsoft, the Guides update from September 29, 2026, with app version 911.2609.24004, is required for continued operation and displays notices in the app regarding the end of support (Microsoft Learn). Microsoft has stopped manufacturing the HoloLens 2 as of December 2024. Microsoft has announced that it will continue to provide monthly security updates for the device through December 2027 (HoloLens Release Notes). Microsoft has not released a successor to Guides and Remote Assist (Directions on Microsoft, 01/2026).
is what Dynamics 365 Field Service costs per user per month with annual billing, plus VAT. After the cutoff date, it is the remaining license that unlocks spatial annotations in Teams.
Microsoft Price List, 11/2026
Remote Assist Alternative: Remote Support with Teams Mobile
For Remote Assist, Microsoft itself names one route. Spatial annotations in Teams Mobile cover some of the scenarios. The technician shares the camera of a smartphone or tablet, and the expert places arrows and drawings from a PC that stay anchored in the space. This requires an Android device with ARCore or an iPhone or iPad with ARKit. The feature is unlocked as soon as one person on the call has a license for Dynamics 365 Field Service, Guides or Remote Assist (Microsoft Learn).
After the cutoff date, only Field Service will remain. According to Microsoft, the license costs 91.00 euros per user per month with annual billing, plus VAT (Microsoft, as of November 5, 2026). Anyone already using Field Service for dispatch planning therefore already has the replacement for Remote Assist in-house. For everyone else, this route pays off when a few experts support many technicians. Hands-free work as with the HoloLens is no longer possible this way.
Model Calculation: What the Replacement Costs a Supplier
All figures are assumptions. An automotive supplier with two plants uses 40 Guides for setup, maintenance and training on 12 HoloLens 2 devices. Six maintenance experts support 15 technicians via Remote Assist. For remote support, the six experts receive a Field Service license, which comes to 6 times 91 euros times 12 months, that is 6,552 euros per year at list price. The 40 Guides move into a worker guidance system on tablets that reads orders and machine status from the MES.
We assume 5 to 8 person-days for the inventory and export. We estimate 30 to 60 person-days for the worker guidance system with step sequences, images, videos, sign-off per step and integration with the MES. Each guide needs 0.5 to 1.5 person-days to migrate, 20 to 60 in total. Testing and training at both sites take 8 to 15 person-days. The estimate comes to 63 to 143 person-days plus the Field Service licenses. A third-party solution saves part of the development but adds ongoing per-user licenses, which are not included in this calculation.
Dynamics 365 Guides Alternatives: Your Options
| Option | Effort | Costs | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams Mobile with Room Annotations | Days for setup and training | Field Service license for at least one person on the call | Remote support only; no step-by-step instructions, no hands-free operation |
| Marketplace solution from the Microsoft Marketplace | Weeks, Importing Exported Guides | Licenses per User by Provider | A new provider, data retention, and exit clauses must be reviewed |
| Custom worker guidance system integrated with MES and ERP | Weeks to months | Development, followed by operation without a license per user | One more application in operation that needs to be maintained |
| Continue Using HoloLens 2 with Different Software | Weeks | Software from the provider | According to Microsoft, security updates for the device will only be available through December 2027; no new devices |
| Do nothing | None | None for now | Starting January 1, 2027, there will be a lack of work instructions and remote support on the production line |
The approaches can be combined, for example Teams for remote support and a worker guidance system for work instructions. How we split analysis, implementation and operations is described on the page Professional Services for Software, Data, and AI.
Which Approach Suits Which Use Case
Teams with spatial annotations suits service teams that support customers or their own plants remotely and do not need fixed step sequences. A third-party solution fits when the guides mainly cover onboarding and training and need no data from other systems. Only a test with your own guides shows whether steps, 3D models and anchors arrive complete after import.
For setup, maintenance and quality inspection on the line, we consider a custom worker guidance system the better approach. There, each work instruction depends on order, variant and machine status, and every sign-off belongs in traceability. This data lives in the MES and the ERP. A worker guidance system with interfaces to both avoids maintaining the same data twice. We consider continuing to run the HoloLens 2 with third-party software acceptable only as a bridge until the end of 2027, because security updates for the device end after that.
Succession Plan for Guides and Remote Assist in 10 WorkdaysYou receive a list of all guides, users, devices and call scenarios with usage data, plus an export of all guides before the cutoff date. For each scenario we recommend a route, that is Teams, a third-party solution, a custom worker guidance system or dropping it, each with an effort estimate and license costs. You also get a pilot plan for one line and a scope of work for requesting proposals. You then decide which route starts before December 31 and what budget it needs in 2027. Initial consultation: 30 minutes, free of charge, response within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Remote Assist in Teams cost after end of support?
According to Microsoft, spatial annotations in Teams Mobile require at least one person on the call with a Dynamics 365 Field Service license. It costs 91.00 euros per user per month with annual billing, as of November 5, 2026.
Will it still be possible to export guides after December 31, 2026?
According to Microsoft, the data remains in Dataverse. Microsoft handles the process of packaging the data as a file through its PC app, which will no longer work after the cutoff date. Some providers also export guides directly from Dataverse, but frontline.io states that data retrieval will no longer be possible after the cutoff date. The only sure way to plan is to export the data before December 31.
When does support for the HoloLens 2 end?
Microsoft has announced monthly security updates through December 2027. For devices purchased on or before February 28, 2025, Microsoft has specified February 28, 2028, as the minimum period for security updates, in accordance with the U.K.'s PSTI Act.
The Next Step
torck develops software for industrial and retail facilities and integrates it with MES, ERP, and machine data. You can find out how we do this on the page Professional Services. How the costs of a custom application break down is shown in the article How much does custom software development cost?. What matters in contracts with a new provider is described in Avoiding Vendor Lock-in. Connecting to machines is explained in Connecting OT and IT. Schedule an Initial Consultation.
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