In preparation for ending its support Microsoft closes the Windows 10 beta program

 

In preparation for ending its support Microsoft closes the Windows 10 beta program

Microsoft has announced the closure of the Windows 10 beta program, in preparation for ending support for it in 2025.

The company has moved all users registered in the Windows Insider beta program to the Release Preview channel, which is one of the channels available from Microsoft for users to try out updates and new versions of the Windows operating system before they are officially released to all users, but with a higher degree of stability compared to other channels such as the Beta Channel or the Dev Channel.

This decision came after the company reopened the “beta channel” for Windows 10 in early June, launching the first beta version three years after the last version was released to Windows 10 users in 2021.

However, just five months later, Microsoft announced that it was shutting down the “Beta Channel” again without explaining the reasons or revealing future plans, and the company advised users to prepare for the end of support for Windows 10 by upgrading to Windows 11.

“This will be the last release of Windows 10 through the Beta Channel, as we will be closing it for the system,” the company said in a statement.

According to data from Statcounter, more than 60% of Windows computers around the world run Windows 10, while only 35% of computers run the latest Windows 11, three years after its launch in October 2021.

Windows 10 (version 22H2), the latest release of Windows 10, will continue to receive monthly security updates until mid-October 2025, when support for the system is scheduled to end.

After this date, Microsoft will stop fixing vulnerabilities and providing security updates for discovered vulnerabilities that affect the system.

However, on October 31, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 users can extend their upgrade to Windows 11 for an additional year for $30 to get security updates.