Microsoft's unusual move to reopen Windows 10 beta testing

Microsoft is set to end support for Windows 10 in October 2025, but the tech giant is taking an unusual step by reopening its beta program to test new features and improvements for the operating system.

Despite announcing last year that it would stop releasing major updates to Windows 10, Microsoft is now offering additional features for the OS, which will officially cease to be supported in about 16 months. The move is aimed at ensuring that users can get the most out of their current Windows PCs.

The Windows Insider team explained in a blog post that this initiative is aimed at facilitating active feature development.

To bring new features and more improvements to Windows 10 as needed, we need a place to do active feature development with Windows Insiders,

they said. While specific new features were not disclosed, Windows Insiders can join the beta channel to receive early access to these updates.

Notably, Windows 10 recently received the AI Copilot feature, initially exclusive to Windows 11, and more features are expected to follow. However, the end of support date remains unchanged. “Joining the Beta Channel on your Windows 10 PC does not change that,” Microsoft confirmed.

As the end of support approaches, Microsoft will offer paid security updates for Windows 10 for the first time. Businesses will need to pay $61 per device for the first year of security updates, with the fee doubling each subsequent year. Pricing for consumer security updates has yet to be revealed but will be announced at a later date.

Currently, Windows 10 remains the dominant version, with StatCounter reporting nearly 68% market share in May 2024, compared to Windows 11’s 28%. Windows 10 was first released in 2015 and continues to be widely used despite the availability of its successor.