Windows 11 will be rolled out beginning Oct. 5, but not every user will have access during the rollout period.
Windows 11 which has been designed to be used by billions of users across the globe will begin rolling out to eligible Windows 10 PCs and PCs that come pre-loaded with Windows 11 will start to become available for purchase.
That means new eligible devices will be offered the upgrade first. The upgrade will then roll out over time to in-market devices based on intelligence models that consider hardware eligibility, reliability metrics, age of the device and other factors that impact the upgrade experience.
All eligible All the 4 latest iPhone models and iPad arrive worldwide today. are to be offered the free upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022. If you have a Windows 10 PC that’s eligible for the upgrade, Windows Update will let you know when it’s available.
You can also check to see if Windows 11 is ready for your device by going to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Microsoft’s latest operating system will work on specific hardware.
Users who don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11 right away can wait — Microsoft will still support Windows 10 through October 2025.
System requirements
These are the minimum system requirements for installing Windows 11 on a PC.
If your device does not meet these requirements, you may not be able to install Windows 11 on your device and might want to consider purchasing a new PC.
If you are unsure whether your PC meets these requirements, you can check with your PC Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or, if your device is already running Windows 10, you can use the PC Health Check app to assess compatibility.
Your device must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade.
Free updates are available through Windows Update in Settings>Update and Security.
| Processor | 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC). |
| RAM | 4 gigabyte (GB). |
| Storage | 64 GB or larger storage device Note: See below under “More information on storage space to keep Windows 11 up-to-date” for more details. |
| System firmware | UEFI, Secure Boot capable. Check here for information on how your PC might be able to meet this requirement. |
| TPM | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement. |
| Graphics card | Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver. |
| Display | High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel. |
| Internet connection and Microsoft account | Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft account. Switching a device out of Windows 11 Home in S mode also requires internet connectivity. Learn more about S mode here. For all Windows 11 editions, internet access is required to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. A Microsoft account is required for some features. |
Feature-specific requirements for Windows 11.
Some features in Windows 11 have increased requirements beyond those listed above in the minimum requirements section. Below are some additional details regarding requirements for key features:
| 5G support | requires 5G capable modem where available. |
| Auto HDR | requires an HDR monitor. |
| BitLocker to Go | requires a USB flash drive (available in Windows Pro and above editions). |
| Client Hyper-V | requires a processor with second-level address translation (SLAT) capabilities (available in Windows Pro and above editions). |
| Cortana | requires a microphone and speaker and is currently available on Windows 11 for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. |
| DirectStorage | requires 1 TB or greater NVMe SSD to store and run games that uses the “Standard NVM Express Controller” driver and a DirectX 12 Ultimate GPU. |
| DirectX 12 Ultimate | is available with supported games and graphics chips. |
| Presence | requires sensor that can detect human distance from device or intent to interact with device. |
| Intelligent Video Conferencing | requires video camera, microphone and speaker (audio output). |
| Multiple Voice Assistant (MVA) | requires a microphone and speaker. |
| Snap | three-column layouts requires a screen that is 1920 effective pixels or greater in width. |
| Mute/Unmute from Taskbar | requires video camera, microphone and speaker (audio output). App must be compatible with feature to enable global mute/unmute. |
| Spatial Sound | requires supporting hardware and software. |
| Microsoft Teams | requires video camera, microphone and speaker (audio output). |
| Touch | requires a screen or monitor that supports multi-touch. |
| Two-factor Authentication | requires use of PIN, biometric (fingerprint reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with WiFi or Bluetooth capabilities. |
| Voice Typing | requires a PC with a microphone. |
| Wake on Voice | requires Modern Standby power model and microphone. |
| WiFi 6E | requires new WLAN IHV hardware and driver and a WiFi 6E capable AP/router. |
| Windows Hello | requires a camera configured for near infrared (IR) imaging or fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or portable Microsoft compatible security key. |
| Windows Projection | requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 and a WiFi adapter that supports WiFi Direct. |
| Xbox (app) | requires an Xbox Live account, which is not available in all regions. See Xbox Live Countries and Regions for the most up-to-date information on availability. Some features in the Xbox app will require an active Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately). |
Feature deprecations and removals.
When upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 or when installing an update to Windows 11, some features may be deprecated or removed.
| Cortana | Cortana will no longer be included in the first boot experience or pinned to the Taskbar. |
| Desktop wallpaper | Desktop wallpaper cannot be roamed to or from the device when signed in with a Microsoft account. |
| Internet Explorer | Internet Explorer documentation is disabled. Microsoft Edge browser is the recommended replacement and includes IE Mode, which may be useful in certain scenarios. |
| Maths Input Panel | Maths Input Panel is removed. Math Recognizer will install on demand and includes the maths input control and recogniser. Maths inking in apps like OneNote are not impacted by this change. |
| News & Interests | News & Interests has evolved. New functionality has been added which can be found by clicking the Widgets icon on the Taskbar. |
| Quick Status | Quick Status from the Lockscreen and associated settings are removed. |
| S Mode | S Mode is only available now for Windows 11 Home edition. |
| Snipping Tool | Snipping Tool continues to be available but the old design and functionality in the Windows 10 version have been replaced with those of the app previously known as Snip & Sketch. |
| Start | The start is significantly changed in Windows 11 including the following key deprecations and removals: Named groups and folders of apps are no longer supported and the layout is not currently resizeable. Pinned apps and sites will not migrate when upgrading from Windows 10. Live Tiles are no longer available. For at-a-glance, dynamic content, see the new Widgets feature. |
| Tablet Mode | Tablet Mode is removed and new functionality and capability is included for keyboard attach and detach postures. |
| Taskbar | The taskbar is changed including People is no longer present on the Taskbar. Some icons may no longer appear in the System Tray (systray) for upgraded devices including previous customisations. Alignment to the bottom of the screen is the only location allowed. Apps can no longer customise areas of the Taskbar. |
| Timeline | The timeline is removed. Some similar functionality is available in Microsoft Edge. |
| Touch Keyboard | Touch Keyboard will no longer dock and undock keyboard layouts on screen sizes 18 inches and larger. |
| Wallet | The wallet is removed. |
The following apps will not be removed on upgrade but will no longer be installed on new devices or when clean-installing Windows 11. They are available for download from the Store:
- 3D Viewer
- OneNote for Windows 10
- Paint 3D
- Skype
