Windows 11 Feature Update: 26H2 Timing, Support and Install

Every year Windows 11 gets a new version, and with it a fresh support period. Knowing how a Windows 11 feature update works helps you decide when to install it, whether you can wait, and why ignoring it for too long leaves a PC without security fixes. This guide covers the cadence, the versions current today, how to install or delay an update, and what to do when it will not install.

The yearly cadence

Microsoft’s Windows 11 release information page states that Windows 11 has an annual feature update cadence, with feature updates released in the second half of the calendar year. Each one is supported for:

• 24 months on Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations.
• 36 months on Enterprise and Education.

On top of that, monthly security updates arrive on the second Tuesday of each month. These are cumulative, so the latest one contains all previous fixes.

Versions current today

From Microsoft’s release information, as checked on 14 October 2026:

Version	Released	End of updates, Home and Pro	Build
26H2	29 September 2026	10 October 2028	26300
25H2	30 September 2025	12 October 2027	26200
24H2	1 October 2024	End of updates reached	26100
26H1	February 2026	New devices only	28000

Microsoft’s September 2026 preview update notes say 24H2 Home and Pro reached end of updates on 13 October 2026. If your PC is on 24H2 Home or Pro, move to 25H2 or 26H2 now. Microsoft also notes that 26H1 is scoped to certain new devices and is not offered as an update to existing PCs.

Feature updates vs quality updates

	Quality update	Feature update
How often	Monthly	Yearly
Contents	Security and reliability fixes, some new features	New version number, remaining features switched on
Support clock	No change	Resets to 24 or 36 months
Install time on 24H2 or later	Minutes	Minutes, one restart in most cases

Because 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 share one servicing branch, moving between them is a small enablement package. Microsoft says 26H2 installs on eligible 25H2 and 24H2 PCs with a single restart in most cases.

How to install a feature update

1. Back up your files. Feature updates keep files, apps and settings, but a backup is still the safety net.
2. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
3. Install the latest monthly update first and restart if asked.
4. When the new version appears as an optional download, select Download and install.
5. Restart and let it finish. Check the result with winver.

Microsoft’s announcement suggests turning on Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available to be among the first to receive new versions. Without it, the update still arrives during a gradual rollout.

If the update is not offered, Microsoft may be holding it back on your hardware because of a known issue. That is a reason to wait, not to force it. Check the release health pages or our check Windows 11 version guide.

New features between versions

Not everything new waits for the yearly version. Microsoft uses continuous innovation: new features are introduced in optional preview updates during the year, then included in the monthly security updates and rolled out gradually. Microsoft’s notes for 26H2 say some features people associate with the new version may already be on a PC before the feature update is installed.

That is why two PCs on the same version can look slightly different for a few weeks. The Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available setting in Settings > Windows Update makes your PC one of the first to receive these changes. Leave it off if you prefer to wait until features have been in wider use.

Checking how long your version is supported

The quickest check is Microsoft’s Windows 11 release information page, which lists every version with its end-of-updates dates per edition. Compare it with the version winver shows. If your version’s end date is close, plan the feature update now rather than in the last week.

Delaying a feature update

You can delay updates for a short time with Pause updates in Settings > Windows Update. Our pause Windows 11 updates guide explains the limits. When the pause ends, Windows installs the latest updates. On Home and Pro there is no supported way to stay on a version past its end of updates and keep getting security fixes.

Avoid registry tweaks or tools that “lock” a version. They are a common source of later update failures.

If it fails or causes problems

• Install error: see Windows 11 update failed and Windows 11 update stuck.
• Problems after installing: in most cases you can go back within 10 days in Settings > System > Recovery; see uninstall a Windows 11 update.
• Slower after update: background tasks often settle within a day; see Windows 11 slow after update.

Still on Windows 10?

Windows 10 has no further feature updates. Support ended on 14 October 2025, and Microsoft’s consumer ESU program provides security updates until 12 October 2027, according to its ESU page as checked on 14 October 2026. Eligible PCs should move to Windows 11: run a compatibility check, then follow upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11.