Python Enhancement Proposals

PEP 619 – Python 3.10 Release Schedule

Author:
Pablo Galindo Salgado <pablogsal at python.org>
Status:
Final
Type:
Informational
Topic:
Release
Created:
25-May-2020
Python-Version:
3.10
Table of Contents

Abstract

This document describes the development and release schedule for Python 3.10. The schedule primarily concerns itself with PEP-sized items.

Release Manager and Crew

  • 3.10 Release Manager: Pablo Galindo Salgado
  • Windows installers: Steve Dower
  • Mac installers: Ned Deily
  • Documentation: Julien Palard

Release Schedule

3.10.0 schedule

Note: the dates below use a 17-month development period that results in a 12-month release cadence between feature versions, as defined by PEP 602.

Actual:

  • 3.10 development begins: Monday, 2020-05-18
  • 3.10.0 alpha 1: Monday, 2020-10-05
  • 3.10.0 alpha 2: Tuesday, 2020-11-03
  • 3.10.0 alpha 3: Monday, 2020-12-07
  • 3.10.0 alpha 4: Monday, 2021-01-04
  • 3.10.0 alpha 5: Wednesday, 2021-02-03
  • 3.10.0 alpha 6: Monday, 2021-03-01
  • 3.10.0 alpha 7: Tuesday, 2021-04-06
  • 3.10.0 beta 1: Monday, 2021-05-03 (No new features beyond this point.)
  • 3.10.0 beta 2: Monday, 2021-05-31
  • 3.10.0 beta 3: Thursday, 2021-06-17
  • 3.10.0 beta 4: Saturday, 2021-07-10
  • 3.10.0 candidate 1: Tuesday, 2021-08-03
  • 3.10.0 candidate 2: Tuesday, 2021-09-07
  • 3.10.0 final: Monday, 2021-10-04

Bugfix releases

Actual:

  • 3.10.1: Monday, 2021-12-06
  • 3.10.2: Friday, 2022-01-14
  • 3.10.3: Wednesday, 2022-03-16
  • 3.10.4: Thursday, 2022-03-24
  • 3.10.5: Monday, 2022-06-06
  • 3.10.6: Tuesday, 2022-08-02
  • 3.10.7: Tuesday, 2022-09-06
  • 3.10.8: Tuesday, 2022-10-11
  • 3.10.9: Tuesday, 2022-12-06
  • 3.10.10: Wednesday, 2023-02-08
  • 3.10.11: Wednesday, 2023-04-05 (Final regular bugfix release with binary installers)

Source-only security fix releases

Provided irregularly on an “as-needed” basis until October 2026.

  • 3.10.12: Tuesday, 2023-06-06
  • 3.10.13: Thursday, 2023-08-24
  • 3.10.14: Tuesday, 2024-03-19
  • 3.10.15: Saturday, 2024-09-07
  • 3.10.16: Tuesday, 2024-12-03
  • 3.10.17: Tuesday, 2025-04-08
  • 3.10.18: Tuesday, 2025-06-03
  • 3.10.19: Thursday, 2025-10-09
  • 3.10.20: Tuesday, 2026-03-03
  • 3.10.21: Wednesday, 2026-08-12
  • 3.10.22: Thursday, 2026-10-01

3.10 Lifespan

3.10 received bugfix updates approximately every 2 months for approximately 18 months. Some time after the release of 3.11.0 final, the 11th and final 3.10 bugfix update was released. After that, security updates (source only) were released until 1st October 2026, 5 years after the release of 3.10.0 final.

As of 2026-10-01, 3.10 has reached the end-of-life phase of its release cycle. 3.10.22 was the final security release. The codebase for 3.10 is now frozen and no further updates will be provided nor issues of any kind will be accepted on the bug tracker.

Features for 3.10

Some of the notable features of Python 3.10 include:

  • PEP 604, Allow writing union types as X | Y
  • PEP 612, Parameter Specification Variables
  • PEP 613, Explicit Type Aliases
  • PEP 618, Add Optional Length-Checking To zip
  • PEP 626, Precise line numbers for debugging and other tools
  • PEP 634, PEP 635, PEP 636, Structural Pattern Matching
  • PEP 644, Require OpenSSL 1.1.1 or newer
  • PEP 624, Remove Py_UNICODE encoder APIs
  • PEP 597, Add optional EncodingWarning