The Windows Insider Program is undergoing a change that will affect users who participate in the program. As of August 11th, 2026, Microsoft will be requiring users to update their Secure Boot certificates in order to continue testing new Windows 11 features.
The current Secure Boot certificates are set to expire on August 11th, 2026, and Microsoft has announced that renewal builds will be issued to carry the refreshed certificate. This is a routine, planned maintenance and not a response to any security issue.
The renewal process will now apply to all Insider channels, including Experimental & Beta, as well as the Canary Channel. This is a change from previous renewals, which only affected the Canary Channel.
The certificate version required for each version and channel will depend on the specific Windows Insider Channels and Windows 11 versions being used. Microsoft has listed the minimum requirements for each version and channel.
To update certificates, users can simply check for updates via Windows Update. It is essential to update the certificates by the deadline of August 11th, 2026, as users who do not update will no longer have access to new Windows Insider updates.
