Microsoft Has Announced the End of Support for .NET 6

This updated overview organizes the essential information about Microsoft Has Announced the End of Support for .NET 6, including practical uses, key features, setup considerations, and common questions.

Microsoft has confirmed that this free, open source developer platform will reach End of Support later this year, specifically on November 12, 2024. .NET 6 is out. Launched the first preview version in February 2021, then officially released in November 2021.

In a support blog post, Microsoft mentioned that November 12 will also be when the regular monthly Patch Tuesday updates are rolled out. The company may release a final update for .NET 6 on that date if any serious issues are discovered. .NET 6 is released under Microsoft's Long Term Support (LTS) period, which means it's officially supported for three years.

After November 12, any apps developed with .NET 6 will continue to function normally, but because there will be no new updates, they may experience security issues in the future. Those who continue to use .NET 6-based applications may also no longer receive technical support. Microsoft says developers will see a 'gold bar' warning appear in Visual Studio if they choose to use .NET 6 after the end of support date.

Microsoft released .NET 6's successor, .NET 7, in November 2022. However, .NET 7 is only within the company's Standard Support window, thus ending the cycle. support period in May 2024.

Microsoft is urging developers with .NET 6 applications to upgrade them to the now supported .NET 8. Those who only use applications with .NET 6 are asked to notify their application developers or application vendors to request that they upgrade them to .NET 8. .NET 8 launches in November 2023 and is currently the best version.

Microsoft launched the .NET 9 preview version, in February five years. Currently this version is expected to officially launch in November.