Switching to Windows 12 may be delayed by at least a year

Microsoft is preparing to release Windows 11 version 25H2, a significant feature update for the operating system. Insiders can already test the first builds of this Windows version, which is scheduled to be generally available in the second half of 2025. Users of the previous version, Windows 10, can receive an extra year of security updates directly from Microsoft using a relatively simple trick, which we explain here.

What does the Windows 11 25H2 update mean for Windows 12?

In a new blog post, Microsoft's Jason Leznek commented on the next update for Windows 11 and clarified that security updates for the Windows 11 Home and Pro versions will be guaranteed for 24 months after the release of 25H2, and for 36 months for the Enterprise and Education versions. New features will continue to be added over time after release. This could mean that the company's focus is on the further development of Windows 11 for the time being, even though work is already underway on the Windows successor, presumably Windows 12.

Consequently, users will have to wait a little longer for a new version of Windows. As things stand, this is likely to be until October 2027 for private users, and until October 2028 for businesses (assuming the 25H2 update is released at the end of Windows 10 support in mid-October 2025). It's quite possible that Microsoft will extend the deadline again next year.

What does the Windows 11 update 25H2 contain?

The update is primarily aims to improve stability, quality and fix bugs, rather than introduce a host of new features. Windows 11 25H2 is expected to be released around the same time as the end of support for Windows 10 in October 2025 in order to help users make a smooth transition to the newer operating system.

25H2 is designed as an "enablement update", which means that many of the new features are already included in the code of version 24H2 and can be simply enabled with a small update. This should enable a particularly quick and efficient installation that will hardly take any longer than a monthly security update.