Windows 11
Windows 11 is the current major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system, released on October 5, 2021, as the successor to Windows 10. It is available as a free upgrade for devices running Windows 10 that meet [|its system requirements]. The Windows Server counterpart, Server 2025, was released in 2024. Windows 11 is the first major version of Windows without a corresponding mobile edition, following the discontinuation of Windows 10 Mobile and is implemented to mobile devices with different form factors, screen sizes and CPU architectures as a unified edition of Windows. As of October 14, 2025, Windows 11 is the only fully supported consumer-oriented version of Windows.
The operating system introduced a redesigned Windows shell influenced by elements of the canceled Windows 10X project, including a centered Start menu, a separate "Widgets" panel replacing live tiles, and new window management features. It also incorporates gaming technologies from the Xbox Series X and Series S, such as Auto HDR and DirectStorage on supported hardware. The Chromium-based Microsoft Edge remains the default web browser, replacing Internet Explorer, while Microsoft Teams is integrated into the interface. Microsoft also expanded support for third-party applications in the Microsoft Store, including limited compatibility with Android apps through a partnership with the Amazon Appstore.
Windows 11 introduced significantly higher system requirements than typical operating system upgrades, which Microsoft attributed to security considerations. The operating system requires features such as UEFI, Secure Boot, and Trusted Platform Module version 2.0. Official support is limited to devices with an eighth-generation Intel Core or newer processor, a second-generation AMD Ryzen or newer processor, or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 or later system-on-chip. These restrictions exclude a substantial number of systems, prompting criticism from users and media. While installation on unsupported hardware is technically possible, Microsoft does not guarantee access to updates or support. Windows 11 is the first version of Windows without a 32-bit build, running only on x86-64 and ARM64 architectures; despite this, it is still able to run 32-bit applications through the WoW64 subsystem, which 64-bit versions of Windows have been using since Windows XP.
Windows 11 received mixed reviews upon its release. Prelaunch discussion focused on its increased hardware requirements, with debate over whether these changes were primarily motivated by security improvements or to encourage users to purchase newer devices. The operating system was generally praised for its updated visual design, improved window management, and enhanced security features. However, critics pointed to changes in the user interface, such as limitations on taskbar customization and difficulties in changing default applications, as steps back from Windows 10. In June 2025, Windows 11 surpassed Windows 10 as the most installed version of Windows worldwide. Windows 11 is the most used version of Windows, accounting for 51% of the worldwide market share, while its predecessor Windows 10 holds 45%, and Windows 7 holds 4%. Windows 11 is the most-used traditional PC operating system, with a 38% share of users.
Development
At the 2015 Ignite conference, Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon stated that Windows 10 would be the "last version of Windows". The operating system was considered to be a service, with new builds and updates to be released over time. PC World argued that the widely reported comment was, however, taken out of context, noting that the official event transcript marks it only as a segue rather than a core part of the talk. It argues that Nixon was referring to the fact that he could talk freely at the event because 10 was the last version in current development.In October 2019, Microsoft announced "Windows 10X", a future edition of Windows 10 designed exclusively for dual-touchscreen devices such as the then-upcoming Surface Neo. It featured a modified user interface designed around context-sensitive "postures" for different screen configurations and usage scenarios, and changes such as a centered taskbar and updated Start menu without Windows 10's "live tiles". Legacy Windows applications would also be required to run in "containers" to ensure performance and power optimization. Microsoft stated that it planned to release Windows 10X devices by the end of 2020.
In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, stated that "as we continue to put customers' needs at the forefront, we need to focus on meeting customers where they are now", and announced that Windows 10X would only launch on single-screen devices at first, and that Microsoft would "continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market".
In October 2020, reports emerged that Microsoft was working on a user interface refresh for Windows 10 codenamed "Sun Valley", scheduled to be included in a late-2021 feature update codenamed "Cobalt". Internal documentation stated that the aim for "Sun Valley" was to "reinvigorat" the Windows user interface and make it more "fluid", with a more consistent application of WinUI, while reports suggested Microsoft planned to adapt UI elements seen in Windows 10X. In January 2021, it was reported that a job listing referring to a "sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows" had been posted by Microsoft.
By December 2020, Microsoft had begun to implement and announce some of these visual changes and other new features on Windows 10 Insider Preview builds, such as new system icons, improvements to Task View to allow changing the wallpaper on each virtual desktop, x86-64 emulation on ARM, and adding the Auto HDR feature from Xbox Series X.
On May 18, 2021, Head of Windows Servicing and Delivery John Cable stated that Windows 10X had been canceled and that Microsoft would be "accelerating the integration of key foundational 10X technology into other parts of Windows and products at the company".
Announcement
At the Microsoft Build 2021 developer conference, CEO and chairman Satya Nadella teased about the existence of the next generation of Windows during his keynote speech. According to Nadella, he had been self-hosting it for several months. He also teased that an official announcement would come very soon. Just a week after Nadella's keynote, Microsoft started sending invitations for a dedicated Windows media event at 11:00 a.m. ET on June24, 2021. Microsoft also posted an 11-minute video of Windows start-up sounds to YouTube on June10, 2021, with many people speculating both the time of the Microsoft event and the duration of the Windows start-up sound video to be a reference to the name of the operating system as Windows 11.On June 24, 2021, Windows 11 was officially announced at a virtual event hosted by Chief Product Officer Panos Panay. According to Nadella, Windows 11 is "a re-imagining of the operating system". Further details for developers such as updates to the Microsoft Store, the new Windows App SDK, new Fluent Design guidelines, and more were discussed during another developer-focused event on the same day.
Release and marketing
The Windows 11 name was accidentally released in an official Microsoft support document in June 2021. Leaked images of a purported beta build of Windows 11's desktop surfaced online later on June 15, 2021, which were followed by a leak of the aforementioned build on the same day. The screenshots and leaked build show an interface resembling that of the canceled Windows 10X, alongside a redesigned out-of-box experience and Windows 11 branding. Microsoft would later confirm the authenticity of the leaked beta, with Panay stating that it was an "early weird build".At the June 24 media event, Microsoft also announced that Windows 11 would be released in "Holiday 2021". Its release will be accompanied by a free upgrade for compatible Windows 10 devices through Windows Update. On June 28, Microsoft announced the release of the first preview build and SDK of Windows 11 to Windows Insiders.
On August 31, 2021, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 was to be released on October 5, 2021. The release would be phased, with newer eligible devices to be offered the upgrade first. Since its predecessor Windows 10 was released on July 29, 2015, more than six years earlier, this is the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows operating systems, beating the time between Windows XP and Windows Vista.
The first television commercial for Windows 11 premiered during the 2021 NFL Kickoff Game on September 9, 2021; it was intended to showcase a "feeling of immersion and fluidity", with imagery of operating system features and Xbox Game Studios' Halo Infinite. Other promotional campaigns on release day included the Burj Khalifa in Dubai being illuminated with imagery of the Windows 11 logo and default "Bloom" wallpaper, and Mikey Likes It ice cream parlors in New York City distributing free cups of "Bloomberry" ice cream.
Though a support document listed October 4, 2021, as the initial release date, Microsoft officially released Windows 11 on October 5, 2021, as an opt-in, in-place upgrade through either the Windows 11 Installation Assistant application, or via Windows Update in a phased rollout; Microsoft anticipated that Windows 11 would be available via Windows Update to all eligible devices by mid-2022. New installations of Windows 10 on eligible hardware may present an option to upgrade during the OOBE. Retail copies of Windows 11 were released on May 9, 2022, and digital licenses became available via Microsoft Store on July 28, 2022. On September 20, 2023, around two years after the release date of Windows 11, Microsoft announced that users would no longer be able to use Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product keys to activate Windows 10/11. As of 2024, however, some reports indicate that they still work, under certain conditions.