Windows 11 Celebrates 5 Years With a Over 1 Billion User Milestone

Windows 11 has officially turned five, and Microsoft has a pretty big milestone to celebrate. The operating system launched on October 5, 2021, and has now surpassed 1 billion users worldwide, reaching the milestone faster than Windows 10 did.

Microsoft originally launched Windows 11 with a redesigned interface, a centered Start menu, updated Microsoft Store, improved multitasking features and a major push toward modern PC hardware. Five years later, the OS has gone through several major updates, while Microsoft has increasingly shifted its focus toward AI-powered experiences.

Windows 11 reaches 1 billion users faster than Windows 10

Microsoft confirmed the 1 billion-user milestone earlier this year during its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings call. CEO Satya Nadella said Windows 11 had reached 1 billion users, with the user base growing more than 45% year over year.

Windows 11 reached the milestone in around 1,576 days, compared with roughly 1,706 days for Windows 10. The end of Windows 10 support also appears to have played a role in accelerating the migration, as Microsoft pushed users toward newer hardware and Windows 11.

The milestone is also arriving as Microsoft prepares to move Windows 11 into another phase. The company recently released Windows 11 26H2, its latest annual update, which continues the existing servicing approach while introducing new features and improvements.

Microsoft is now increasingly positioning Windows around local AI, Copilot+ PCs and new AI experiences. The company has also said that more than 1 billion people use Windows daily, highlighting the size of the platform beyond Windows 11 specifically.

Five years after its debut, Windows 11 has clearly become Microsoft’s main desktop platform. The bigger question now is what Microsoft plans to do with those 1 billion users as Windows moves deeper into its AI era.