Microsoft announces release date for Windows 11 with free upgrade

Microsoft is announcing that Windows 11 will be released on October 5th. The new operating system will be available as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs, or on new hardware that ships with Windows 11 pre-loaded.

The free upgrade to the new operating system will start rolling out on October 5th, but like many Windows upgrades in the past, it will be available in phases.

New eligible devices will be offered the upgrade first, and then Windows 11 will become available for more in-market devices in the weeks and months following October 5th.

“Following the tremendous learnings from Windows 10, we want to make sure we’re providing you with the best possible experience,” explains Aaron Woodman, general manager of Windows marketing at Microsoft. “We expect all eligible devices to be offered the free upgrade by mid-2022.”

Microsoft is bringing Android apps to the new operating system in partnership with Amazon and Intel, but this feature won’t be available on October 5th.

A preview of Android apps on Windows 11 will be available for Windows Insiders in the coming months, suggesting that it likely won’t launch to all users of the operating system until 2022.

If your PC isn’t fully compatible with the new operating system, Microsoft is still supporting Windows 10 until October 14th, 2025. It’s not clear how many major updates Microsoft will release for Windows 10 over the next four years, though.