Google is offering free OS upgrade to these 500 million Windows users
With Windows 10 support running out and millions of PCs unable to run Windows 11, Google says it has a free solution, and it is available right now.
More than 500 million people are sitting on a ticking clock. Their Windows 10 computers cannot run Windows 11, Microsoft 's support for Windows 10 is winding down, and come this October, those machines will be left without security updates — making them increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks with every passing month.
Google says it has the answer — and it will not cost a penny.
What Google Is Offering
The solution is ChromeOS Flex , a free, cloud-based operating system that Google says can breathe new life into older PCs and Macs that can no longer keep up with the demands of modern Windows.
"You can transform your aging, unsupported laptop into a fast, secure and sustainable machine for free," Google says. "Refresh the devices that you already own at no cost with a modern, cloud-based operating system that's secure and easy to manage."
The offer itself is not brand new — ChromeOS Flex has been available for some time. What is new is how easy Google has made it to take up. The company has just launched a ChromeOS Flex USB Kit in partnership with Back Market, a refurbished electronics marketplace, making the installation process more accessible for everyday users who may not be comfortable navigating technical software installations on their own.
The USB kit itself is not free — it is priced at around $3 or €3 — but the operating system it installs is. The kit is also reusable, and Google has partnered with sustainability organisation Closing the Loop to minimise the e-waste associated with its production.
Why This Matters Now
Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for Windows 10 last October, but the problem did not disappear when that deadline passed. If anything, it has grown.
Windows 11 has a strict set of hardware requirements — particularly around processor specifications — that millions of perfectly functional older PCs simply cannot meet. The result is an unusually large number of users stranded on an operating system that is no longer receiving full security support.
Microsoft does offer a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) programme that provides limited additional support, but that only runs until October 2025. After that, without an enterprise arrangement in place, those machines will be entirely on their own — unpatched and increasingly exposed.
Google did not miss the opportunity to frame its offer against this backdrop. "Microsoft's decision to end-of-life Windows 10 last October left many people with a difficult decision: spend hundreds on a new device, or continue using an insecure, outdated one," the company said pointedly.
The Environmental Argument
Beyond security, Google is making a second argument for ChromeOS Flex — one centred on sustainability.
The prospect of hundreds of millions of PCs becoming effectively unusable has alarmed environmental groups, who have been calculating the potential landfill impact of so many devices being discarded simultaneously. Electronics manufacturing carries a significant carbon footprint, and throwing away a machine that could still function for years is a considerable waste.
"The manufacturing process of a new laptop is responsible for a large part of its carbon footprint," Google notes. "ChromeOS Flex allows the already-manufactured device to be used for longer, which keeps hardware out of landfills and avoids the emissions of making a new device."
The company adds that ChromeOS consumes 19% less energy on average than comparable operating systems — an additional environmental benefit for anyone keeping an older machine running longer.
Is Switching from Windows to ChromeOS the Right Move?
That depends entirely on what you use your computer for — and it is worth being clear-eyed about the trade-offs.
ChromeOS Flex is a cloud-first operating system. It works best for users whose computing lives revolve around a web browser — email, streaming, document editing through Google Workspace , video calls and general web browsing. For those users, it is genuinely capable and the transition may feel surprisingly smooth.
For users who rely on specific Windows software — professional applications, games, specialist tools or legacy programmes — ChromeOS is not a like-for-like replacement and the limitations will be felt quickly.
For anyone on an older PC that cannot run Windows 11, however, the realistic alternative is not Windows — it is either spending money on a new machine or continuing to use an increasingly insecure one. Against that backdrop, ChromeOS Flex is at minimum a credible option, and for many users, it may be the most practical path forward.
What Microsoft Is Doing
Microsoft, for its part, is not entirely standing still. The company is currently using AI to assess when PCs running older versions of Windows 11 are ready to be automatically upgraded to the latest version — applying the update without user intervention to ensure consistent security across its active user base.
Notably, this automated upgrade approach is not currently being applied to Windows 10 machines that are eligible for Windows 11 — though with the final support deadline approaching in October, that may yet change.
The Bottom Line
For the hundreds of millions of people facing an unsupported Windows 10 machine and no viable path to Windows 11, Google's free ChromeOS Flex offer deserves serious consideration. It will not suit everyone, and it is a genuine change in how a computer works and feels. But it is free, it is secure, and it is available right now — which is more than Microsoft is currently offering the same group of users.
And even if you do eventually buy a new machine, your old one need not end up in a landfill. A child, a parent or a neighbour might find a freshly ChromeOS-powered laptop more useful than you might expect.
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More than 500 million people are sitting on a ticking clock. Their Windows 10 computers cannot run Windows 11, Microsoft 's support for Windows 10 is winding down, and come this October, those machines will be left without security updates — making them increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks with every passing month.
Google says it has the answer — and it will not cost a penny.
What Google Is Offering
The solution is ChromeOS Flex , a free, cloud-based operating system that Google says can breathe new life into older PCs and Macs that can no longer keep up with the demands of modern Windows.
"You can transform your aging, unsupported laptop into a fast, secure and sustainable machine for free," Google says. "Refresh the devices that you already own at no cost with a modern, cloud-based operating system that's secure and easy to manage."
Why This Matters Now
Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for Windows 10 last October, but the problem did not disappear when that deadline passed. If anything, it has grown.
Microsoft does offer a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) programme that provides limited additional support, but that only runs until October 2025. After that, without an enterprise arrangement in place, those machines will be entirely on their own — unpatched and increasingly exposed.
The Environmental Argument
Beyond security, Google is making a second argument for ChromeOS Flex — one centred on sustainability.
The company adds that ChromeOS consumes 19% less energy on average than comparable operating systems — an additional environmental benefit for anyone keeping an older machine running longer.
Is Switching from Windows to ChromeOS the Right Move?
That depends entirely on what you use your computer for — and it is worth being clear-eyed about the trade-offs.
ChromeOS Flex is a cloud-first operating system. It works best for users whose computing lives revolve around a web browser — email, streaming, document editing through Google Workspace , video calls and general web browsing. For those users, it is genuinely capable and the transition may feel surprisingly smooth.
For anyone on an older PC that cannot run Windows 11, however, the realistic alternative is not Windows — it is either spending money on a new machine or continuing to use an increasingly insecure one. Against that backdrop, ChromeOS Flex is at minimum a credible option, and for many users, it may be the most practical path forward.
What Microsoft Is Doing
Microsoft, for its part, is not entirely standing still. The company is currently using AI to assess when PCs running older versions of Windows 11 are ready to be automatically upgraded to the latest version — applying the update without user intervention to ensure consistent security across its active user base.
Notably, this automated upgrade approach is not currently being applied to Windows 10 machines that are eligible for Windows 11 — though with the final support deadline approaching in October, that may yet change.
The Bottom Line
For the hundreds of millions of people facing an unsupported Windows 10 machine and no viable path to Windows 11, Google's free ChromeOS Flex offer deserves serious consideration. It will not suit everyone, and it is a genuine change in how a computer works and feels. But it is free, it is secure, and it is available right now — which is more than Microsoft is currently offering the same group of users.
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