When Windows 11 releases, here’s how much longer Windows 10 could be supported

With Windows 11 right around the corner, Windows 10 users may be wondering how much longer the current operating system will be supported. If you’re worried about being left behind, you’ll still be supported for a while longer. Windows 10 will reach end of support in 2025, according to the respective Microsoft support page. The support page indicates that Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025, just over 10 years after its original release. This applies to Enterprise and Education editions as well.

Since introducing Windows 10, support for each release has been governed by the Modern Lifecycle Policy. This policy was designed to ensure that Windows 10 is supported on a continuous basis, with users simply being required to install the latest feature update every year or so. Each feature update is supported for 18 months, with some exceptions for enterprise users. However, Windows 10 as a whole has always been said to be supported until 2025. Specifically, Microsoft’s support page says that “Microsoft will continue to support at least one Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel until October 14, 2025.”.

Each of the semi-annual feature updates will continue to fall out of support on the expected dates, but whatever the last version ends up being will remain supported until October 14, 2025. Right now, Windows 10 version 21H1 is listed as being supported until December 13, 2022. We don’t know yet if another feature update is planned for later this year to extend that date, or if Microsoft will simply change the date for the current version.

Ten years is in line with most Microsoft products governed by its fixed lifecycle policy, including previous versions of Windows. These versions would receive mainstream support for at least five years after release, and extended support for at least ten. In that regard, Windows 10 will end up being very similar to its predecessors.

However, it’s with noting that this doesn’t apply to versions of Windows 10 in the Long-Term Servicing Branch/Channel. For those users, Windows 10 version 1507 will end support on the same day, but that was already known. Version 1607 will be supported through October 13, 2026, and version 1809 until January 9, 2029.

We’re expecting Microsoft to show off Windows 11 on June 24. Originally, Windows 10 was said to be the last version of Windows, so some might have expected support to be extended by continuous updates. It seems that won’t be the case, but we have also yet to see if there’s an upgrade path from Windows 10 to Windows 11. We’ll likely learn more about that at the June 24 event.

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