Skip to main content
Preran
Legend
February 3, 2026
Sticky

Update on the status of Adobe Animate

  • February 3, 2026
  • 42 replies
  • 7926 views

Yesterday, Adobe shared an email with Adobe Animate customers on the future of Animate. What we shared did not meet our standards and caused a lot of confusion and angst within the community. On behalf of Adobe, I want to apologize.

 

While an email to all Animate customers will go out shortly, we wanted to quickly share a few things: 1) our standard approach for applications in maintenance mode, 2) changes to our plans for Adobe Animate and its status, and 3) our commitments to ensuring that you always have access to your content, regardless of the state of development of an application.

 

Standard Approach for Applications in Maintenance Mode

If we deprioritize active development of an application, our approach is to move that application into maintenance mode with continued support. Under maintenance mode, the application will continue to be available, will continue to receive security and bug fixes, but will not get new features.

 

If we decide to go a step further and discontinue a product, we will work closely with the community to ensure they have adequate time to plan in order to minimize disruption and will take steps so that the community continues to have long-term access to their content.

 

Current State of Adobe Animate

Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode. While we are no longer adding new features to Animate, we will continue to support it and provide ongoing security and bug fixes. More importantly, Animate will continue to be available for both new and existing usersThis is a change from what we communicated in the email yesterday for the status of Adobe Animate, its time-frame, and availability.

 

To be clear, we are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate and it will continue to be available to both existing and new customers.

 

Commitments for long-term content/file access

For Adobe Animate, our commitment is to work with the community to ensure users continue to have long-term access to their content, regardless of the state of development of the application.

42 replies

Speedroller
Participant
February 4, 2026

The last message before this mentions no new customers would be able to download Animate after March 1st, here you mention it will still be available to both existing and new customers (aka my students). Is there a timeline set on when they would not be able to download and use it anymore, the new customers. 
Just wondering because the message on the adobe page has not been updated yet… 

For me it would be an absolute shame if Animate would disappear, love the timeline layout, love the workflow, and a very good tool to teach! 

Joseph Labrecque
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 4, 2026

There is now - no such kill date. It no longer exists. 

HelenWLee
Inspiring
February 6, 2026

But a kill date will come again. Is what it says. Not clear when only. 1,2,5 year? 

stunning_Spirit5E81
Participant
February 4, 2026

Well, I’m still mad that Animate is discontinuing, but since it’s on maintenance mode, what the hell anyways? I’m just half glad it’s still available for existing and new human customers, right? And at least it’s not discontinuing anymore. And even without new features, Animate will be fully well-supported. 😁