Windows 11 is free to download. To perform the update, follow these steps (if your device is compatible)

Windows 11 is on the way, and if you are already a Windows 10 user, it will be free upgrade to Microsoft’s newly designed operating system, the company said in a blog post after the virtual event on Thursday. (Find everything you need to know about Windows 11 here.) As long as your PC meets the minimum requirements, you can update to Windows 11 the same way you usually update Windows 10 – once it’s rolled out during the holiday season 2021 and in 2022 (we don’t have an exact date yet).

To see if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11, go to Windows.com to download the PC Health Check app. (Here’s a full set of instructions for this: how to use PC Health Check app and what information it will tell you.) And if you buy a new PC between now and general release, that computer is also eligible for the free upgrade.

If you haven’t updated to Windows 10 yet, don’t worry – there’s a trick for it Download Windows 10 for free that still works. Now would be a great time to make the switch to prepare your machine for the Windows 11 upgrade.

.

If you’d like to pre-test Windows 11, an early beta will be available next week for those in the Windows Insider program, and a public beta will be released in July. However, we only recommend installing a beta if you have a second tester device — not on your main device, as there are likely to be bugs.

Windows 11 has a sleek new design, with pastel colors, rounded corners, a new startup sound, and generally a more Mac-like look. The Windows Start menu has been moved from the bottom-left corner of the screen to the center, with app icons in the center next to it. You will also find many new desktop tools, such as widgets that can give you information at a glance, and create virtual desktops more easily. And Android apps are integrated into Windows and installable from the Microsoft Store. (View all) the best Windows 11 features and how to use them.)

The update marks the first major change to Microsoft’s operating system since Windows 10 launched in 2015. Rumors of a major Windows redesign circulated over the past year. At the Microsoft Build developer conference on May 25, CEO Satya Nadella said: Microsoft planned to be “one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade,” confirming that 2021 is a major change for the operating system’s 1.3 billion users. And in mid-June, Microsoft quietly announced that it would end of support for Windows 10 in 2025 if leaked images of Windows 11 spread.

For more, check out everything we wanted to see in Windows 11 but didn’t, and all the major differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11.