With the launch of Windows Phone 8 back in 2012, Microsoft introduced a new feature called "Rooms", allowing users to easily create groups with which they could privately chat, and share calendars and photos. There was some (limited) cross-platform support, but the feature never quite took off, and Microsoft signalled its intentions to discontinue support for it back in February.
The company has now confirmed that it will end support for Rooms next month. In an email to its customers, Microsoft said:
While we decided to keep it around for a little longer than we"d originally planned, support for rooms will end in June 2015. Once support ends, you"ll still be able to view and use your room photo albums, calendars and notes - but you will no longer be able to create new rooms or have access to chats.
In Windows Phone 8 and 8.1, Rooms will still appear, albeit in a "read-only" capacity; but on Windows 10 Mobile, Rooms won"t be visible at all.
Microsoft recommends using "an alternative solution" for those who want similar functionality after Rooms support finally ends, suggesting its own GroupMe app as one possible solution.
The company has also posted an FAQ page on its support site for those affected by the upcoming changes.