A decade ago, Canonical launched Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (codenamed “Xenial Xerus”). As a Long-Term Support (LTS) release, it comes with 5 years of standard security coverage, which is doubled to a total of 10 years through Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) for users with an Ubuntu Pro subscription.
As of April 30, 2026, the 10-year ESM coverage for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, under Ubuntu Pro, has officially reached its end of support.
While Ubuntu 16.04 LTS images can still be launched on the public clouds, they are now marked as deprecated and will no longer receive any security patches, bug fixes, or maintenance updates. There are two paths you can follow to keep your Ubuntu estate security maintained.
Path 1: Upgrade to a newer supported Ubuntu LTS
Canonical strongly recommends migrating workloads to a newer, supported LTS version (such as 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS or 26.04 LTS) to benefit from modern security frameworks, updated software stacks, and performance improvements. There are two options when upgrading:
- Fresh installation: Redeploying your workloads on a brand-new instance of a modern Ubuntu LTS ensures a clean slate and optimal configuration.
- In-place migration: If redeployment isn’t immediately feasible, you can perform an upgrade on your existing instances. Learn how to perform an in-place migration by reading our Ubuntu LTS Upgrade Guide.
Path 2: Get 5 additional years of maintenance with the Legacy add-on
We understand that complex enterprise architectures, legacy applications, and regulatory dependencies can make immediate migration impossible. If you cannot redeploy your workloads right away, Canonical offers a further five years of security maintenance and support with the Legacy add-on on top of an active Ubuntu Pro subscription.
The Ubuntu Pro Legacy add-on brings the total lifecycle of the release to 15 years. This add-on ensures your Ubuntu 16.04 LTS environments continue to receive critical security patches until 2031 – giving you time to safely plan and execute your migration strategy.
- How to get it: If you need to keep running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS securely, contact the Canonical team directly via the Canonical Support Form to get the Legacy add-on.
Next steps
Leaving your infrastructure on an unsupported operating system can expose you to security threats. Take control of your migration timeline today:
- Assess your inventory: Identify any remaining Ubuntu 16.04 LTS machines or images in your environment.
- Choose your path: Begin scheduling upgrades to a newer LTS, or bridge the gap securely with Ubuntu Pro and a Legacy add-on.
- Read the full announcement: Learn more about how Canonical is expanding total coverage for legacy releases in our official announcement.
