CI/CD Platform

GitHub Actions Runner Images

Track GitHub Actions runner image versions, deprecation timelines, and YAML label changes. Know when your CI/CD workflows need updating before images are removed.

Runner Images Repo Documentation

Runner Images

GA (Stable)

Beta / Preview

Linux Runners

Ubuntu 24.04 GA -latest

x64

ubuntu-latest ubuntu-24.04

Available Since

1 Apr 2024

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

x64

Current ubuntu-latest image. Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat).

Ubuntu 22.04 GA

x64

ubuntu-22.04

Available Since

1 Mar 2022

Expected Removal

1 Oct 2026 (in 7mo)

Architecture

x64

Previous ubuntu-latest. Will be removed after Ubuntu 22.04 LTS reaches end of standard support.

Ubuntu Slim Preview

x64

ubuntu-slim

Available Since

1 Jan 2025

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

x64

Minimal image with fewer pre-installed tools. Faster startup, smaller disk footprint.

macOS Runners

macOS 26 (Arm64) Beta

arm64

macos-26 macos-26-xlarge

Available Since

1 Jan 2026

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

arm64

Beta image for macOS 26. Subject to change, not covered by SLA.

macOS 26 (Intel) Beta

x64

macos-26-large

Available Since

1 Jan 2026

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

x64

Beta Intel image for macOS 26. Large runner only.

macOS 15 (Arm64) GA -latest

arm64

macos-latest macos-15 macos-15-xlarge

Available Since

1 Sep 2024

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

arm64

Current macos-latest image (Arm64). Apple Silicon runners.

macOS 15 (Intel) GA -latest

x64

macos-latest-large macos-15-large macos-15-intel

Available Since

1 Sep 2024

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

x64

Current macos-latest-large image (Intel). For x64 macOS builds.

macOS 14 (Arm64) GA

arm64

macos-14 macos-14-xlarge

Available Since

1 Oct 2023

Expected Removal

1 Sep 2026 (in 6mo)

Architecture

arm64

Previous macos-latest. Will be deprecated after macOS 14 support lifecycle ends.

macOS 14 (Intel) GA

x64

macos-14-large

Available Since

1 Oct 2023

Expected Removal

1 Sep 2026 (in 6mo)

Architecture

x64

Intel variant of macOS 14. Large runner only.

Windows Runners

Windows Server 2025 + VS 2026 Beta

x64

windows-2025-vs2026

Available Since

1 Jan 2026

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

x64

Beta image with Visual Studio 2026. Not covered by SLA.

Windows Server 2025 GA -latest

x64

windows-latest windows-2025

Available Since

1 Apr 2025

Expected Removal

—

Architecture

x64

Current windows-latest image. Windows Server 2025 with Visual Studio 2022.

Windows Server 2022 GA

x64

windows-2022

Available Since

1 Nov 2021

Expected Removal

1 Oct 2027 (in 1.6y)

Architecture

x64

Previous windows-latest. Based on Windows Server 2022 LTSC (mainstream support until Oct 2026).

Deprecated & Removed Images

Runner images that have been removed from GitHub-hosted runners. Workflows using these labels will fail.

Image	OS	Removed	Replacement
Ubuntu 20.04	Linux	1 Apr 2025	`ubuntu-22.04 or ubuntu-24.04`
macOS 13 (Ventura)	macOS	1 Oct 2025	`macos-14 or macos-15`
macOS 12 (Monterey)	macOS	1 Dec 2024	`macos-14 or macos-15`
macOS 11 (Big Sur)	macOS	28 Jun 2024	`macos-14`
Windows Server 2019	Windows	1 Jan 2025	`windows-2022 or windows-2025`

Migration Quick Reference

Common migration paths for deprecated runner images.

Pin versions for stability

# Instead of:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest

# Pin to a specific version:
runs-on: ubuntu-24.04

Matrix strategy for multi-OS

strategy:
  matrix:
    os: [ubuntu-24.04, macos-15, windows-2025]
runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about GitHub Actions runner images and lifecycle.

What does the -latest label mean in GitHub Actions?

Labels like ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, and macos-latest point to the newest stable (GA) OS version. GitHub migrates these labels gradually over 1-2 months when a new version becomes the default, so pin to a specific version (e.g. ubuntu-24.04) for reproducible builds.

How often are GitHub Actions runner images updated?

Runner images are updated on a weekly cadence. Each update includes OS patches, tool version bumps, and security fixes. You can track releases at github.com/actions/runner-images/releases.

What happens when a runner image is deprecated?

GitHub announces deprecations via the runner-images repo (Announcement label). Deprecated images stop receiving updates and are eventually removed. Workflows using removed images will fail. Migrate to a supported image before the removal date.

Should I use ubuntu-latest or pin to a specific version?

For production workflows, pin to a specific version (ubuntu-24.04) to avoid unexpected changes during -latest migrations. Use ubuntu-latest for non-critical workflows where you want automatic upgrades to the newest stable image.

What is the difference between macOS arm64 and x64 runners?

arm64 runners use Apple Silicon (M-series) hardware and are the default for macOS. x64 (Intel) runners are available as -large variants. arm64 runners are generally faster for native builds, while x64 may be needed for Intel-specific software.

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Runner image data sourced from actions/runner-images and GitHub documentation. Last updated: 1 Mar 2026.