Usually we do not cover specific news from Redmond, but since this concerns all current and future Windows 10 users, it definitely deserves an exception. With a quick edit on the Windows 10 lifecycle page, Microsoft confirmed that build 22H2 will leave its phase of improvements and new features to receive monthly security updates. In other words, Windows 10 22H2 will be the last version of Windows 10.
Windows 10 will turn eight years old on July 29. In our minds it seems younger, and its market share suggests it still has a lot of life left, but in the corridors of Redmond, its "star" operating system is starting to be seen as a dinosaur. The design changes, regressions, and absurd hardware requirements for Windows 11 have affected its adoption, mainly gaining ground over Windows 7 machines that are being replaced.
Windows 10 is not going anywhere in the short term, but Microsoft has started to move its pieces. On one hand, the operating system will end its official support phase on October 14, 2025. And on the other, there is additional confirmation: The current build of Windows 10, known as 22H2, will only receive security updates from now on, leaving aside improvements and secondary features.
Windows 10 22H2: The last Windows 10
The company has not confirmed whether Windows 10 will receive updates through the ESU (Extended Security Updates) program as happened with Windows 7, but we must not forget that Windows 10 has LTSC editions with longer support periods. For example, the IoT Enterprise build of Windows 10 LTSC 21H2 will have hotfixes until January 2032. LTSC 1809 will extend until January 2029, and LTSC 21H2 Enterprise will come with support until January 2027.
The news has a bittersweet taste for users. The idea of Windows 10 entering its final stage of development does not sit well considering that Windows 11 is not gaining traction, and that available information suggests a Windows 12 in 2024. But at the same time, that means Redmond will not ruin the operating system by injecting features and services that nobody wants. Windows 10 is the "new legacy option", and many will stick with it for a while…
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