Salesforce Winter ’26 Release: What’s Coming and What You Need to Do

Salesforce’s seasonal releases always bring a mix of new features, improvements, and changes that admins and teams need to stay on top of. Winter ’26 is no different. While the final release notes aren’t out just yet, we do have some important details to help you get ready.

This post breaks down the key timelines, what to expect with your sandbox and production orgs, and—most importantly—the updates that will be enforced whether you’re ready or not. Let’s walk through what you need to know.

When Will My Salesforce Org Be Upgraded?

Salesforce rolls out major releases gradually across all instances. Your specific upgrade date depends on which instance your org is on. There are three main release weekends for Winter ’26:

September 6, 2025
October 4, 2025
October 11, 2025

To check the exact date your org will be upgraded:

Go to trust.salesforce.com
Search using your instance name or your org’s domain
Click the Maintenance tab to see the upgrade schedule

If you’re not sure what your instance name is, log into your Salesforce org, go to Setup, then click Company Information. You’ll find the instance listed there.

What About Sandboxes?

Sandboxes are updated before production so that teams have time to test their setup with the new version. Most sandboxes will move to Winter ’26 around September 6, 2025.

There are two types of sandboxes when it comes to release timing:

Preview Sandboxes: These will automatically update early to Winter ’26.
Non-Preview Sandboxes: These remain on the current version until a later date (closer to your production upgrade).

If you’re not sure which type your sandbox is, Salesforce usually publishes a sandbox preview guide. Keep an eye out for that.

Testing in a sandbox is critical—especially if you rely on automations like Flows or Apex code. A simple update can sometimes change how something behaves, and it’s better to catch that in test, not production.

Can I Try the New Release Earlier?

Yes. Salesforce will provide access to pre-release orgs ahead of time. These are scratch orgs—completely separate from your setup or data—but they let you explore new features and UI changes early.

It’s a good way to get familiar with what’s new before it lands in your environment.

Enforced Changes Coming in Winter ’26

Some updates from previous releases are now becoming mandatory in Winter ’26. Even if you didn’t enable them before, they will now be turned on automatically. Here are the key ones to be aware of:

1. Permission Checks on Apex Classes Used in Flows

If you’re using Apex actions in Flows and passing in Apex classes as inputs, this one matters.

Until now, these classes relied on the previous component context to run. With this update, Salesforce will now enforce permission checks based on the current context. This helps avoid unexpected flow failures but may break existing flowsif permissions aren’t set up correctly.

First introduced in Summer ’24
Originally scheduled for enforcement in Spring ’25, now pushed to Winter ’26

What to do: Review all Apex classes used in flows, and confirm the required permissions are assigned properly.

2. Retirement of Maintenance Plan Frequency Fields

Salesforce is retiring the Frequency and Frequency Type fields from the Maintenance Plan object. These are being replaced by Maintenance Work Rules, which offer more flexibility and better control.

Originally announced in Summer ’22
Delayed from Winter ’22, now enforced in Winter ’26

What to do: If you’re still using the old Frequency fields, now’s the time to migrate. Salesforce may remove them completely, which could affect scheduled maintenance jobs.

3. Flow Access Control Update

This change tightens up how flows can be run. Previously, orgs could use the FlowSites permission to let anyone run flows. That’s going away.

Now, users must have the right profile or permission set to execute a flow. This ensures better access control and security.

First introduced in Winter ’24
Scheduled for Winter ’25, now delayed to Winter ’26

What to do: If your org relies on FlowSites or doesn’t yet assign flow permissions explicitly, review who needs access and assign the right permission sets.

What You Should Do Next

Here’s a quick checklist to help you stay ahead of the Winter ’26 release:

Check your org’s upgrade date via Salesforce Trust
Find out when your sandbox updates, especially if you need to test automation or integrations
Start planning test scenarios for key features and business processes
Review the enforced updates listed above—especially if you’re using Apex in flows, maintenance plans, or public flows
Watch for the official release notes—they’ll offer more detail on all changes, big and small

Final Thoughts

Salesforce releases rarely break things outright, but surprises can still happen if you don’t plan ahead. These enforced changes in Winter ’26 are a good example—if they catch you off guard, they can interrupt key processes.

The good news is: there’s still time to prepare. We’ll keep monitoring the release cycle and share the full release notes as soon as they’re available. If you need help testing or want to review specific areas like Flows, Apex permissions, or maintenance rules, let us know.

We’re here to help make the transition smooth.