- Windows 12 isn’t expected to be released in 2024.
- Microsoft is still expected to roll out a new version, but it’ll be an upgrade for Windows 11 (24H2).
- This new feature update will focus on AI integration as well as other significant changes.
Microsoft has confirmed that “Windows 12” won’t be released in 2024. Instead, the company plans to give Windows 11 another upgrade with the rollout of version 24H2 during the second half of 2024, which means we’ll likely not get a brand new version of the operating system until at least the second half of 2025.
One of the reasons for keeping the “Windows 11” branding is that there is currently a fragmentation of versions, and the software giant wants to stop the further division of devices based on product releases due to users’ slow pace of adoption. At this point, the operating system has around 1.4 billion active users, and only 400 million are running Windows 11. The remaining billion are still on Windows 10, primarily due to unsupported hardware that doesn’t allow users to upgrade.
As a result, if the company rolls out Windows 12, the fragmentation will increase, and the adoption rate could drop even more.
However, the next version of Windows 11 won’t be a minor update either. Actually, the software giant will offer a major refresh for its operating system, much like those feature updates we used to see that even required complete reinstallation. In other words, you can now expect everything we have heard about Windows 12 to arrive as Windows 11 24H2 instead.
So, the next feature update for Windows 11 will focus heavily on AI integration, meaning that in 2024, you can expect Copilot and other AI features to be more integrated into the operating system.
Windows 11 24H2 is set to introduce new features and several visual changes, including a more advanced version of Copilot that will enhance search, help you understand context, and help you jump-start a new project quickly. This update may also include features such as Timeline, Super Resolution, and desktop background powered by AI.
The company plans to finalize the feature update sometime during the summer when many computer manufacturers will start introducing new devices with more capabilities focused on AI.
In other words, the improvements and the new innovations on AI that we have been hearing about are still on the table to ship in 2024, but they will now roll out as an update for Windows 11 (version 24H2) instead of the company releasing the so-called “Windows 12.”
Update February 12, 2024: This article has been updated to include the new information about Microsoft releasing a new upgrade for Windows 11 instead of Windows 12.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].