Microsoft has started distributing Windows 11 26H2 on the Windows Insider Release Preview channel – the final testing phase before releasing the platform to the public. The development of the new version of Windows 11 is almost complete, and testing of new components has begun.
Image source: windows.com
Windows 11 26H2 is similar in scale to 25H2; it’s based on the same platform as 24H2 and 25H2, which means it’s not a major operating system update or a major change to the core. With the release of Windows 11 26H2, the platform support period will be reset to 24 months for consumers and 36 months for enterprise customers; it will contain the same core, feature set, and security updates as 25H2, which means there will be no expected compatibility or software quality issues: everything that runs on 25H2 will run on 26H2.
“Because Windows 11 26H2 uses the same service branch as Windows 11 25H2, updates are done via a launch kit (eKB). This means your device will be updated to the next version after a single reboot – providing a familiar, fast and reliable update process.”,— explained Worked at Microsoft. In some cases, new features may appear in Windows 11 26H2 first and then in 24H2 and 25H2, but as long as the latter two are supported, you should receive them.
The release of Windows 11 26H2 on the Release Preview channel usually means that it is still several weeks away from the official release. Components submitted to the Release Preview channel are considered working in the stable branch – all that remains is to ensure there are no bugs or issues in the final release. Microsoft usually releases a general version of Windows 11 in late September or early October – maybe that will happen this year as well.
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