Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 version 26H2 is the last release of Windows 11 that will support PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 processor.
The company added the notice to the Windows 11 Home and Pro page on its lifecycle website, which now states that “Windows 11, version 26H2 is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors.”
Snapdragon 850 devices remain eligible for the new release, which Microsoft started rolling out on September 29, 2026. Those PCs will not be offered version 27H2, the feature update planned for next year.
Snapdragon 850 Support Timeline on Windows 11
Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 850 in 2018 as its second-generation chip for Windows on Arm. It was the first processor Qualcomm built specifically for Windows PCs, since the earlier Snapdragon 835 was a reused smartphone chip. Windows 11 support for the Snapdragon 835 was dropped some time ago.
Microsoft’s lifecycle table lists these servicing dates for Windows 11 Home and Pro:
- Version 24H2 reaches its end date on October 14, 2026.
- Version 25H2 reaches its end date on October 13, 2027.
- Version 26H2, released on September 29, 2026, reaches its end date on October 10, 2028.
Version 26H2 receives 24 months of servicing on Home and Pro editions, so Snapdragon 850 owners have roughly two years of security updates left once they install it. The release itself is the Windows 11 26H2 enablement package release that Microsoft shipped this week.
Microsoft has not given a reason for ending support for the chip. The lifecycle notice also does not say whether version 27H2 will be technically incompatible with Snapdragon 850 hardware or whether the cut-off is a requirements check that could be bypassed.
What Snapdragon 850 Owners Should Do Now
PCs still running version 24H2 have the shortest window. Servicing for that release ends on October 14, 2026, and moving to 26H2 gives these devices the longest support period they will receive.
- Open Settings, go to System and then About, and confirm the processor listed under Device specifications.
- Check the installed Windows version on the same page under Windows specifications.
- If the device runs version 24H2 or 25H2, open Windows Update and install the Windows 11 2026 Update, version 26H2, once it is offered.
- Plan to replace the device before October 10, 2028, when servicing for version 26H2 ends.
Users have run Windows 11 on unsupported processors for years by bypassing the system requirements, though such installs fall outside Microsoft’s official support.
Microsoft has not said whether Windows Update will simply stop offering feature updates to Snapdragon 850 PCs or whether newer versions will refuse to install on them.
