Windows 10 lifecycle details

UPDATED 6/14/2024: It doesn’t matter if you have Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or any other version (including Windows 11). They all have a lifecycle. This cycle begins when the product is first made available to the public and ends when Microsoft stops supporting it. In the case of Windows 10, being aware of the product’s lifecycle is helpful when upgrading.

On Windows 10, feature updates were released twice a year through the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC), governed by the new Modern Lifecycle Policy. However, since the release of version 21H2, the operating system only receives one feature update annually during the second half of the year via the General Availability Channel. This new policy means that the operating system is offered as a service, serviced and supported continuously, and never considered a complete product.

As long as you use the current version with a genuine license, Windows 10 will remain supported. Microsoft maintains a version (feature update) for at least 18 months since its original release to the public. (The Enterprise and Education variants of the operating system receive at least 30 months of support.) You want to continue installing cumulative updates (quality updates) during the supported time to keep your device secure and running smoothly. Usually, you want to upgrade to the latest version before the device’s release reaches its end of service.

Windows 10 downloads and installs cumulative updates automatically but no longer forces feature updates unless the version you have is nearing the end of service. If you do not know the version you are running, there are many ways you can check and figure out if you need to upgrade to stay supported.

Microsoft plans to end the support of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. When Windows 10 was first announced back in 2015, the company touted it as the last version of Windows. However, the lifecycle page now states that the company will “continue to support at least one Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel until October 14, 2025,” for the Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Educations versions.

The retirement date means that after October 14, 2025, devices running Windows 10 will no longer receive security and quality updates, and you will no longer be able to contact the company for support.

However, Microsoft plans to offer a paid subscription to allow regular consumers to keep getting security updates for up to three years after the support officially ends. The pricing of the subscription hasn’t been revealed, but for businesses, it will cost $61 per month per device, $122 during the second year, and $244 for the third year.

The lifecycle is different if you use the Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) editions. Windows 10 LTSB is perhaps the best edition if you’re not into feature updates. They are editions supported for up to 10 years, there’s no bloatware, and they don’t get feature updates.

Windows 10 LTSB is an option for Windows 10 Enterprise, and it is only available for Volume License customers or with an MSDN subscription.

Update June 14, 2024: This page has been updated to ensure accuracy and include the latest information.