When Microsoft announced Windows 10 in the July of 2015, it was a pretty massive update. After the Windows 8 failed to impress users, Microsoft rolled back the years and brought back a familiar interface that most of the users were accustomed to. Coupled with a host of new features and capabilities, Windows 10 quickly became the most widely used operating system in the world.
However, nearly 8 years later, Microsoft has announced that it won’t be releasing any major feature updates for Windows 10. While this news may not come as a surprise to most users — mostly because Microsoft has been promoting Windows 11 for quite some time now — but for those of us still using Windows 10, this news has left us with some questions.
What does this mean for Windows 10 users? How will it affect their devices? In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these questions and find out what options users have moving forward.
What Microsoft has said about future Windows 10 updates
Microsoft isn’t ditching Windows 10 completely (well, not right now anyway). The company has announced that it won’t release any new major features for the OS anymore. This effectively means that the Windows 10 2H22 update, which was released earlier in 2023, was the final major software update for the OS, and it won’t be getting any new features now.
However, Microsoft has reassured that it will continue to support the Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. It will also keep getting regular security updates. It will also continue to release regular security updates for the OS — it just won’t be getting new features.
It’s also worth noting that customers running Windows 10 LTSC (long-term servicing channel) or LTSB will not be affected by this change. Those releases have a separate support period, with some versions being supported up to 2029. To determine your Windows 10 version, follow these steps as mentioned by Microsoft.
What can you do?
This is pretty big news. Considering there are still 73% PCs running Windows 10 right now (as per StatsCounter), this is huge. Microsoft may extend the support period by one or two years as the date approaches, but for now the company seems dead set in pulling the plug in about two years — and you will have a decision to make (if not right now). Here are a few things that you can do:
Upgrade to Windows 11
One of the options is to upgrade your device to Windows 11. While not all of us love new design language, Microsoft has added several new features throughout Windows 11, such as the ability to run Android apps, that might make the upgrade worthwhile. Upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11 are free, but you may need to ensure that your PC properly supports it. Here’s how you can upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10.
Switch to Mac
Another option for Windows 10 users is to switch to a Mac. Apple has been successful in improving the performance and efficiency of its Macs, particularly with the latest M1 and M2 series chips. Moreover, app support for macOS is now more extensive than ever before. While it may take some time to transition to new OS, it can be worthwhile since Apple provides long-term software support for its Macs.
Stay on Windows 10 for the next two years
Don’t like any of the two options mentioned above? Well, you can continue using Windows 10 as-is for the next two and a half years. Windows 10 will continue to receive regular security updates until then, which means the software of your laptop will remain secure and protected against potential threats for a considerable time. This way, you can continue to enjoy the familiar interface and functionality of the OS. And who knows, maybe Microsoft will decide to extend the support period since there are still a ton of people using Windows 10.
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