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[e]" 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 (which also included the replacement of shell resources dating back as far as
Windows 95), 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 (code-named "Project Reunion"), 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 (OOBE) 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. 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 (created by
Barcelona-based art studio
Six N. Five), 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 (which can perform the upgrade, or generate an
ISO image or USB install media), 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 (consisting of a
license key and
USB flash drive) 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. == Features ==