Microsoft has disabled phone activation for Windows
According to an automated message, phone activation of Windows is "currently" unavailable. Microsoft now confirms: It's history.
(Image: heise medien)
Recently, there have been discussions and speculation that Windows cannot be activated by phone. When attempting to do so, you receive the message that this is “currently” not possible. Microsoft confirms that this is intentional. The company is thus making the forced activation of the operating system even more complicated.
Over the weekend, it was verified that Windows cannot be activated by phone. When attempting to do so, only an automated message is heard. It announces that the call cannot be processed “at the moment” and only refers to support.microsoft.com – Microsoft's general support start page. At that time, however, it was unclear whether this was a (longer) disruption or whether Microsoft had permanently discontinued the option. Even at the time of reporting, the instructions for calling phone activation are still online on Microsoft's websites.
Microsoft: Phone activation service intentionally throttled
On the English-language website, however, Microsoft has already removed the option from the instructions. “Microsoft is modernizing activation for perpetual licenses,” the company explains there.
(Image:Â heise medien)
“Starting December 3, 2025, the traditional automated product activation process by phone will be moved online. Customers will instead need to use the product activation portal,” Microsoft further explains. “The new digital workflow offers a more secure, reliable, and user-friendly activation experience and helps prevent fraud. Although the process has been updated, offline activation features will continue to be supported. Customers who rely on traditional offline activation can continue to use it without any changes to their environment.”
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Microsoft explains that the Product Activation Portal requires a login. However, the account used for this is not automatically linked to the licenses to be activated. In the portal, you can choose which product you want to activate – Windows, Office, Windows Server, and so on. For Windows versions, the list goes from the current Windows 11 back to Windows XP, which is actually no longer supported. This is intended to enable software activation even without an internet connection on the target device. However, a second device with an internet connection is required to access the activation portal, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
(dmk)
