Nearly four years after its launch, Windows 11 has finally achieved the milestone Microsoft had been pursuing: becoming the most widely used desktop operating system among its users worldwide.
According to the latest data from StatCounter, in July 2025, Windows 11 surpassed Windows 10 in user adoption, marking a key milestone in the company’s transition strategy. Windows 11 now holds a 52% share of Microsoft’s OS market, while Windows 10 has dropped to 44.59% as of July 7. Other international reports reflect similar figures — with minor methodological variations — but all point to the same trend: Windows 11 is now in the lead.
This shift comes at a critical moment, as official support for Windows 10 is set to end on October 14, 2025. Microsoft has stepped up its efforts this year to speed up the transition, warning users that the system will stop receiving security updates after that date.
Although Windows 11 seems firmly established today, its adoption was initially slow. By the end of 2022, fewer than 10% of users had made the switch. Some studies even estimated that only 3% had installed it during its first year. Adoption began to accelerate in 2023, reaching 28%, and rose to 36% in 2024. It wasn’t until 2025 that the major leap occurred, driven by Microsoft’s push and the looming end-of-support deadline.
Microsoft itself reported that Windows is installed on over 1.4 billion devices globally, although it has not disclosed the exact distribution by version. Still, it’s estimated that hundreds of millions of devices remain on Windows 10 — a situation that poses both a security risk and a major logistical challenge.
One of the main barriers to Windows 11’s early adoption was its stricter hardware requirements. Chief among them was the need for a TPM 2.0 chip, originally designed for enterprise computers to store encryption keys. This requirement excluded millions of otherwise fully functional PCs from upgrading, forcing users to either remain on an unsupported OS, buy a new compatible device, or seek alternatives outside the Windows ecosystem.
Other factors have also raised concerns among users: the need for an internet connection during setup, mandatory Microsoft account sign-in, the inclusion of ads within the system, and preinstalled apps that many consider unnecessary. While some of these practices existed in Windows 10, their presence has become more prominent in Windows 11.
Nevertheless, Microsoft has also leaned into innovation, introducing AI-driven features designed to reshape the user experience. Chief among these is Copilot+, an advanced assistant powered by artificial intelligence, available exclusively on Copilot+ PCs equipped with processors and NPUs capable of delivering at least 40 TOPS of performance.
These features have particularly appealed to tech enthusiasts, creative professionals, and gamers — sectors where Windows 11 already leads, as evidenced by its top spot as the most used OS on platforms like Steam.
Although the road has been long and filled with hurdles, Windows 11 is finally beginning to solidify its position as Microsoft’s new standard. The next challenge will be to maintain that lead and complete the transition before support for its predecessor officially ends.
