Microsoft has confirmed that the next release of Windows is called Windows 11 25H2, and it’s going to be a minor update deployed via an enablement package. Windows Latest correctly predicted this in March 2025, and newer findings confirmed it again in April 2025. And now, it’s official.
In a support document, Microsoft noted that Windows 11 25H2 will be similar to 23H2, which was also an enablement package. Based on past trends, it’ll be less than 1MB in size and deployed via a cumulative update.
This update will ship with a couple of noteworthy changes. For example, it’ll turn on a new Start menu with grid and category layouts. It’ll also introduce a new feature that will throttle CPU usage when Windows feels you’re away from the PC. It may try to figure that out based on your mouse, keyboard interactions.
While Windows 11 25H2’s enablement package itself is technically not even a megabyte, it will activate new features like the one I mentioned above. Because all the major changes will have already been added to your PC over the past few months through regular cumulative updates.
In our tests, Windows Latest previously observed that new feature binaries, added gradually via these updates, are stored in %windir%WinSxS. The enablement package, which is Windows 11 25H2 in this case, will simply flip the feature flags in the manifest.
You’ll also see the version number “25H2” under Settings > System > About as soon as the patch is applied. And you’ll gain access to the new features. While it might seem like the 25H2 download activates everything at once, in reality, all the changes were already on your system. But in a disabled state. The Windows 11 25H2 package merely unlocks them.
The enablement package only requires a regular reboot, and you won’t see any noticeable bandwidth usage because. All the necessary components are already on your PC by the time Windows 11 25H2 is declared the “RTM” (release to manufacturing) status.
Remember that Windows 11 25H2 will only appear as a small release on fully updated PCs. So, if you haven’t installed monthly updates for a while, the 25H2 update might feel like a major feature release when it finally arrives.
Why Windows 11 25H2 is an enablement package, not a full-featured?
You might wonder why not ship everything with Windows 11 25H2 and call it a big feature release? Well, that’s because Microsoft can’t justify labelling it as a “feature” release.
It doesn’t include a lot of major changes, and calling it a full feature update would require Microsoft to promote it differently. Also, Microsoft doesn’t want enterprises and consumers to have yet another major release at this point. Windows 11 24H2 has been a mess, and it’s still not clear if Windows 12 will happen in 2026.
This is the best bet for every involved party, including consumers, enterprises and Microsoft.
24H2 shares the same update cadence as Windows 11 24H2, which means all of the features designed for 25H2 will also arrive on 24H2. The cumulative updates (KB packages) would be the same. It also means Microsoft will not be releasing an LTSC version because there’s one for Windows 11 24H2 already.
Based on the information we have, Windows 11 25H2 will begin rolling out to everyone in October or around that period. It will reset the support lifecycle clock. Enterprises will get 36 months of support, and Pro/Home (consumer editions) will be supported for 24 months.
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