JDK 26

This release will be the Reference Implementation of version 26 of the Java SE Platform, as specified by JSR 401 in the Java Community Process.

Status

The main line branch is open for bug fixes, small enhancements, and JEPs as proposed and tracked via the JEP Process.

Schedule

2025/12/04 Rampdown Phase One (branch from main line)
2026/01/15 Rampdown Phase Two
2026/02/05 Initial Release Candidate
2026/02/19 Final Release Candidate
2026/03/17 General Availability

Features

JEPs targeted to JDK 26, so far
500: Prepare to Make Final Mean Final
504: Remove the Applet API
516: Ahead-of-Time Object Caching with Any GC
517: HTTP/3 for the HTTP Client API
522: G1 GC: Improve Throughput by Reducing Synchronization
524: PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects (Second Preview)
525: Structured Concurrency (Sixth Preview)
526: Lazy Constants (Second Preview)
529: Vector API (Eleventh Incubator)
530: Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch (Fourth Preview)
Last update: 2025/11/13 20:18 UTC