Windows 11 user loss admission revised by Microsoft
Windows 11, released in October 2021, has been gradually gaining new users, but Windows 10 continues to lead the desktop operating system (OS) market share as of mid-2025. Although specific up-to-date market share percentages are not readily available, industry trends and reports suggest this general pattern.
The gradual adoption of Windows 11 can be attributed to its hardware requirements and a cautious approach by organisations and consumers towards upgrades. On the other hand, Windows 10 remains widely deployed due to its maturity, compatibility, and extended support from Microsoft.
Desktop OS competitors, such as macOS and various Linux distributions, hold smaller market shares compared to Windows 10 and 11.
Since its launch, Windows 11 has shown a slow but steady growth in users, but it hasn't managed to regain the market share it lost over the past 15 years. Data analytics websites like StatCounter suggest that Windows has lost as much as 15% of the market since 2015.
Microsoft initially claimed that Windows was in use on over 1 billion devices worldwide. However, this number was later updated to "over 1.4 billion" in 2022, which indicates that Windows hasn't lost up to 400 million users in the last few years. Since the statement in 2022, no new user growth for Windows 11 has been reported.
As Windows 10 reaches end of support this year, Windows 11 is expected to become the most used desktop OS globally within the next year. The author expresses hope that Microsoft will focus its efforts on bringing more quality to the Windows platform in the coming years, potentially reigniting interest in Windows as a product.
A potential future release, Windows 12, could provide Microsoft with an opportunity to reset the narrative and remind users that Windows is more than just a platform for pushing ads. In the last few years, Windows 11 has stagnated, with new features and changes often being perceived as egregious and user-hostile.
In summary:
| Operating System | Market Share Status (2025) | |------------------|---------------------------------------------| | Windows 11 | Increasing uptake since 2021 but still growing| | Windows 10 | Largest desktop OS market share still | | Other OS (macOS, Linux, etc.) | Smaller desktop market share |
[1] Microsoft's blog post initially stated that Windows was in use on over 1 billion devices worldwide. [2] Microsoft updated its blog post, changing the "over 1 billion" number to "over 1.4 billion," confirming that Windows hasn't lost up to 400 million users in the last few years. [3] No new user growth for Windows 11 has been mentioned since the statement in 2022. [4] There's a suggestion that a Windows 12 could potentially reignite interest in Windows as a product. [5] The author hopes that Microsoft will focus its efforts on bringing more quality to the Windows platform in the coming years.
- Despite Windows 11's slow but steady growth, Windows 10 continues to dominate the desktop operating system market share in 2025.
- Since its launch, Windows 11 has struggled to regain the market share it lost over the past 15 years, with reports suggesting a loss of up to 15% since 2015.
- Microsoft initially claimed that Windows was in use on over 1 billion devices worldwide, but later updated the figure to "over 1.4 billion" in 2022, indicating no significant user loss.
- As Windows 10 reaches end of support this year, Windows 11 is projected to become the most used desktop OS globally within the next year.
- To reignite interest in Windows, there's a suggestion that Microsoft may release a Windows 12, offering an opportunity to reset the narrative and focus on bringing quality to the platform.
- Software competitors, such as macOS and various Linux distributions, maintain smaller desktop market shares compared to both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
