Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025. It will mark just over 10 years since the operating system was first introduced. Microsoft revealed the retirement date for Windows 10 in an updated support life cycle page for the OS. Thurrott reports that this is the first time Microsoft has ever described the end of support for Windows 10.
It’s not clear exactly when the support document was updated, but Thurrott reports it only previous documented “when specific Windows 10 versions would leave support,” and not the entire OS. It could be another hint that a new version of Windows is on the way.
Microsoft keeps dropping Windows 11 hints
Microsoft has been dropping lots of hints that it’s ready to launch Windows 11. The software maker is holding a special Windows event to reveal the “next generation” of the OS next week. The event starts at 11AM ET, and the event invite includes a window that creates a shadow with an outline that looks like the number 11. Microsoft execs have also been teasing a “next generation of Windows” announcement for months, and one even described it as a “new version of Windows” recently. Microsoft also teased Windows 11 during an 11-minute video last week.
We’re expecting Microsoft to announce a new version of Windows with significant user interface changes, and an overhaul to the Windows Store. Microsoft has been working on something codenamed “Sun Valley,” which the company has referred to as a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows.” There will be many other changes, so read our previous coverage for what to expect.
Microsoft originally committed to 10 years of support for Windows 10, with an original mainstream end of support date set for October 13th, 2020. That mainstream end of support has not yet commenced, as Microsoft has been introducing regular updates and extending active Windows 10 support.
We’re still not in the extended support phase of Windows 10 yet, which is the period when Microsoft doesn’t add new features to an operating system and simply maintains support with bug fixes and security patches.
Windows 10 has been an unusual release for Microsoft, as it moved away from its typical cadence of releasing a new version of the OS every few years. Instead, Microsoft moved Windows to more of a service, updating it twice a year with new features. Microsoft may have described Windows 10 as “the last version of Windows,” but it has now been nearly six years since its release and Microsoft looks ready to move on to something new.
