Microsoft Windows 11 Version 25H2, Revealed

The newly revealed Windows 11 25H2 will arrive later this year, probably by October 2025. It is expected to bring a ton of new features.

Picture of Windows 11's homescreen — Windows 11’s homescreen (Image via Microsoft)

Microsoft just announced the next big update for Windows 11, the 25H2 update. It will bring a bunch of new features and changes when the update releases later this year. Since the 25H2 version is based on the same Germanium platform as the 24H2 version, the update will install faster. The process will be similar to how you install regular cumulative updates. In this article, we will share everything we know about the 25H2 update so far, including when it will possibly be released.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

Microsoft Announces Windows 11 Version 25H2: Everything You Need To Know

Picture of the new Start Menu coming in Windows 11 25H2 — The new Start Menu coming in Windows 11 25H2 (Image via Microsoft)

On June 28, 2025, Microsoft revealed the new Windows 11 Version 25H2 update. The Redmond tech giant even released the first preview build of the 25H2 version in the Windows Insider Dev Channel. You can install it right now to test out the new features and changes. However, you don’t have to install anything, as we are going to list everything below.

New Features and Changes

Here are all the new features and changes expected in the 25H2 update, according to the previous dev builds:

Redesigned Start Menu: Microsoft redesigned the Windows 11 Start menu to integrate Phone Link and offer more customizations. The Redmond tech giant has completely redesigned the All Apps section, and it now has different layouts you can select. Also, you will find a new Phone Link section on the right side of the Start menu, where you will be able to see various information about your phone, including notifications, messages, and more.

AI-Powered Agents in Settings: Microsoft has added multiple AI-powered agents in the Settings app, which are designed to make users’ work easier and deliver a better experience.

Enhanced Passkey Support: You will be able to use third-party Passkey applications like 1Password with advanced features.

Updated “About” Section in Settings: The About section in the Settings app is also updated to provide more information about your hardware, including the CPU, memory, GPU, and more.

Toggle to Hide the Clock in Calendar Flyout: Microsoft has added a new toggle in Settings, which will allow you to turn off the Clock in the Calendar Flyout pop-up menu.

UI Refinements: There will also be many changes and enhancements to the overall UI to make it more rounded, smooth, and stable. The UI changes won’t be significant enough to be instantly visible after the update, but you will notice them in a few places across the operating system.

Platform Changes

Picture describes the enhanced passkey support for third-party applications — The enhanced passkey support for third-party applications (Image via Microsoft)

Microsoft built the 25H2 version on the same Germanium platform as the 24H2. Therefore, there are no significant changes to the platform. This update will install like a regular Windows cumulative update, and the process will be much faster. There won’t be a full OS swap, which happened when the 24H2 update was released last year.

Release Date

According to Microsoft, the Windows 11 25H2 update will release later this year, 2025. Based on past update rollouts, we believe Windows 11 25H2 will release in October 2025. However, it could be a staged rollout, so not everyone will receive the update at the same time.

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