
The renowned open-source and free office suite, LibreOffice, has recently released version 25.8 Beta 2. According to the update changelog, this version officially discontinues support for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, as well as all 32-bit operating systems.
LibreOffice serves as a powerful alternative to the commercial Microsoft Office suite, enabling users to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. It also boasts compatibility with Linux and other operating systems.
The decision to cease support for outdated operating systems is hardly unexpected, given that official support for these platforms ended long ago. Today, only a minuscule number of users still rely on them, rendering continued compatibility support largely unnecessary.
As for 32-bit systems, this essentially pertains to Windows 10, since Windows 11 does not offer a 32-bit variant. Users running the 32-bit edition of Windows 10 must therefore upgrade to a 64-bit system to continue using the latest versions of LibreOffice.
Ending support for 32-bit architecture also allows the LibreOffice development team to conserve valuable time and resources, enabling them to focus solely on maintaining the 64-bit version for Windows. Given the minimal architectural and compatibility differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11, there is no longer a need for separate maintenance.
For users still operating Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or the 32-bit version of Windows 10, previous iterations of LibreOffice—up to version 25.8—will remain usable. However, to benefit from future enhancements and new features, an upgrade to a supported operating system will be essential.