MySQL in 2026: 8.0 EOL, LTS lines and calendar versioning

As of: 2026-10

Current versions (dev.mysql.com release notes)

The new numbering

• Starting with 26.7.0, Innovation releases use YY.M.P: 26 is the year, 7 the month, and the last number is the patch. 26.7.1 is a patch in the 26.7 line.
• Some patch releases are Critical Security Patch Updates (CSPU). For example, 26.7.1 was a CSPU for the MySQL Server Docker image only.
• Innovation releases may change behavior and remove features, and each is supported only until the next Innovation release. LTS releases receive only bug and security fixes. Oracle's lifetime policy is 5 years premier plus 3 years extended support.
• mysql_version.h in 26.7 defines MYSQL_PREVIOUS_LTS_VERSION = "9.7.0".

Upgrade-path rules

• LTS to LTS: 8.4.x to 9.7.x is supported. You cannot skip an LTS, for example 8.4 straight to a future 28.4.
• Only 9.7.x LTS can upgrade directly into the first calendar-versioned line (26.x).
• Downgrading from Innovation releases requires a logical dump and reload.
• From 8.0, upgrade to 8.4 LTS first.

Gotchas for code and configs written against 8.0

• mysql_native_password was deprecated in 8.0.34, is disabled by default in 8.4, and was removed in 9.0.0. On 8.4 you can turn it back on temporarily with mysql_native_password=ON in [mysqld]. On 9.7 and 26.x, move users and drivers to caching_sha2_password:

ALTER USER 'app'@'%' IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password BY '...';

• 8.4 changed many InnoDB defaults:
  • innodb_adaptive_hash_index=OFF, innodb_change_buffering=none
  • innodb_io_capacity=10000, innodb_log_buffer_size=64M
  • innodb_flush_method=O_DIRECT on Linux where supported
• 9.7.0:
  • The Hypergraph optimizer is available in Community (SET optimizer_switch='hypergraph_optimizer=on').
  • DML on JSON duality views.
  • caching_sha2_password can store passwords with PBKDF2.
  • enable_cascade_triggers (triggers fire on cascaded FK actions).
  • Clone works between consecutive LTS versions.
• 26.7.0:
  • Thread pool in Community (thread_pool_max_unused_threads default changed from 2 to 32).
  • Post-quantum TLS 1.3 options (tls_kex, force_pqc, use_pqc_sign) with OpenSSL 3.5+.
  • Change Stream Applier replication (APPLIER_VERSION = 2).
  • group_replication_communication_stack now defaults to MYSQL and, together with group_replication_ip_allowlist, is deprecated.
  • Enterprise Linux 7 is no longer supported.

What to do now

1. Get off 8.0 now, by moving to 8.4 LTS.
2. Use LTS (8.4 or 9.7) for production unless you can upgrade every quarter. Plan 8.4 to 9.7 as an LTS-to-LTS hop.
3. Fix mysql_native_password users and old drivers before moving to 9.7.
4. In tooling, handle version strings like 26.7.1. Don't assume the major version is 8 or 9.

Sources

• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/26.7/en/mysql-releases.html
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/26.7/en/
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/26.7/en/news-26-7-0.html
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/26.7/en/news-26-7-1.html
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/9.7/en/
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/9.7/en/news-9-7-0.html
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/8.4/en/
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/mysql/8.0/en/
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.4/en/mysql-nutshell.html
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.7/en/native-pluggable-authentication.html