Sorry, no preview releases for Windows 10 this December

Surface Go 2 (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

Microsoft won't release any preview releases for Windows 10 in December.
The pause is due to the holidays.
Monthly preview releases will resume in January 2021.

IMPORTANT Because of minimal operations during the holidays and the upcoming Western new year, there won't be any preview releases for the month of December 2020. Monthly servicing will resume with the January 2021 security releases.

Rather than being connected to the global pandemic, which caused a pause of optional updates earlier this year, the December pause is due to the holidays.

Note that Microsoft only mentions that preview releases will be paused over the holidays. Other normally scheduled cumulative updates should still roll out as normal.

2020 has been a long year, and a break for the Windows 10 update team is well-deserved. Microsoft notes that normal monthly servicing will resume in January 2021 with security releases.

Windows 10 usually receives an update on the second Tuesday of the month, frequently known as Patch Tuesday. Optional updates then usually appear later each month.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.