# Microsoft 365: Temporarily Re-enabling EWS During Migration

Microsoft is retiring EWS in **Exchange Online / Microsoft 365**. This change does not apply to Exchange Server installed on the customer infrastructure.

For this reason, when migrating from 20.04.xx to the new connector generation (**24.08 or 26.04**), Microsoft 365 must move to Microsoft Graph.

## Key dates

<div id="bkmrk-from-october-1%2C-2026" style="background:#fff4cc;border-left:5px solid #d39e00;padding:14px 16px;margin:16px 0;color:#4a3b00;">**From October 1, 2026**  
Microsoft begins progressively blocking EWS in Exchange Online tenants that have not explicitly configured the available exception.</div><div id="bkmrk-from-april-1%2C-2027%3A-" style="background:#fde8e8;border-left:5px solid #b42318;padding:14px 16px;margin:16px 0;color:#7a1b14;">**From April 1, 2027: final shutdown**  
EWS will be permanently disabled in Exchange Online and can no longer be re-enabled through the temporary administrative setting.</div>## If an EWS integration stops working during migration

During the transition period, Microsoft still allows administrators to **temporarily re-enable EWS**.

The Microsoft 365 administrator can manage the `EWSEnabled` setting and, where required, the list of authorized EWS applications.

<div id="bkmrk-temporary-workaround" style="background:#e8f4fd;border-left:5px solid #1f6f9c;padding:14px 16px;margin:16px 0;color:#12344d;">**Temporary workaround**  
Re-enabling EWS should only be used to keep the service operational while completing the migration to Microsoft Graph. It is not a permanent solution.</div>## Recommended approach for vtenext

If the legacy 20.04.xx connector stops communicating with Exchange Online after Microsoft blocks EWS:

1. evaluate whether EWS should be temporarily re-enabled to avoid an immediate service interruption;
2. migrate Exchange Connector from 20.04.xx to **24.08 or 26.04** using the module registration procedure;
3. configure Office365 with Microsoft Graph;
4. reconnect users if required;
5. verify synchronization;
6. remove the dependency on EWS once migration is complete.

If Exchange Connector is already on version 24.08, moving to 26.04 is a standard ZIP module upgrade and does not require the structural migration again.

## Microsoft reference

[Exchange Online EWS: Your Time Is Almost Up](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/exchange-online-ews-your-time-is-almost-up/4492361)