As Microsoft is gearing up to release Windows 10 for phones, there will be some important changes to some Lumia apps you may currently use on your Lumia devices running Windows Phone 8.1. When the Nokia Devices & Services business joined Microsoft last year, Microsoft began working on a unified Camera and Photos experience. But now, Microdoft is focusing on its core Windows 10 Camera and Photo apps, so the company is ending support for some Lumia apps. These apps won't be removed from your devices, but they?ll no longer be available from the Windows Phone Store (with immediate effect), and after October 30, 2015, online services and updates for these apps will end.

Lumia Storyteller, Lumia Beamer, Photobeamer, and Lumia Refocus will no longer have online services available, and they will no longer be updated after October 30, 2015. Lumia Panorama and Video Uploader will continue to work if you have them, but they will no longer receive updates or support.

None of these apps will be available in the Windows Phone Store with immediate effect, but if you already have them installed, they won't be removed from your device.

The stories you see in the Lumia Storyteller app on your phone won't be affected and will continue to work within the app, but stories you've published on the "online stories" site will no longer be available from the web service after October 30, 2015. To keep the images and videos in your online stories, open the Storyteller app, select online stories, and view each published story on the web. Then from the website, download all the images and videos that you want to keep. Be sure to do this before October 30, 2015, when the website will no longer be available.