Releasesby GlyphUbuntu 26 generally available and latest migration
The Ubuntu 26.04 runner image for GitHub Actions is now out of public preview and fully supported for production workflows on both x64 and arm64. As part of this release, the ubuntu-latest label will migrate to Ubuntu 26.04, giving you the latest supported Ubuntu release by default.
Also shipped Sep 17, 2026GitHub in September 2026 →
You can add unit tests to pipelines to validate your SQL transformation logic against mock datasets
You can add unit tests to pipelines to validate your SQL transformation logic against mock datasets. Unit tests for pipelines are generally available (GA).
Metastore-level ABAC policies are in Beta
Metastore-level ABAC policies are in Beta in Unity Catalog. You can now attach an ABAC policy (row filter, column mask, GRANT, or DENY) at the metastore level, so a single policy applies across every catalog in the metastore, including catalogs created later.
Moonshot AI Kimi K2.7 is scheduled for retirement
Moonshot AI Kimi K2.7 will be retired on October 30, 2026. Kimi K3 is the recommended replacement. See Deprecated and retired models for migration guidance.
HTML generation in Snowflake CoWork (Preview)
HTML generation is now available in preview as part of document generation in Snowflake CoWork. You can ask Snowflake CoWork to generate an HTML file from your analysis, the same way you generate a PDF or PowerPoint. Generation requires the Cortex Agent code execution tool on the associated agent.
Base environments are now supported on classic compute (Beta)
You can now use base environments to manage Python dependencies on classic compute. You can use Databricks-provided environments or custom workspace-level environments. See Manage dependencies using environments .
Snowpark Container Services backup instance types (General availability)
Backup instance types for Snowpark Container Services compute pools are now generally available and are no longer in Preview .
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Workflow execution protections in GitHub Actions generally available
Workflow execution protections for GitHub Actions, previously in public preview, are now generally available for GitHub Enterprise, organizations, and repositories. Execution protections let you define an allowlist that controls who can trigger an Actions workflow and what events can start it.
Node 20 is no longer available in GitHub Actions
This is the final notification that Node 20 is no longer available on GitHub Actions runners. Runners now use Node 24 for JavaScript actions. The temporary ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION opt-out is no longer available. If you maintain a JavaScript action, update its runs.using value to node24 and publish a new release as soon as possible.
Require proof of presence for high-impact actions
You can now require an interactive re-authentication or a multi-factor challenge before members take high-impact actions on GitHub Enterprise Cloud accounts. Proof of presence is an expansion of GitHub’s sudo mode for enterprises, enforcing a higher security bar when it’s needed.
Control GitHub Actions cache access with cache-mode
You can now use cache-mode to apply least-privilege access to the GitHub Actions cache at the workflow or job level. By granting each workflow or job only the cache access it needs, you can prevent unnecessary restores or saves and help protect trusted workflows from cache poisoning. This capability is now generally available on all plans.
Xcode 27 runner image now runs on macOS 27
You can now validate your Apple apps against macOS 27 using the Xcode 27 runner image for GitHub-hosted macOS runners, available in public preview. The image previously ran on macOS 26. How you target the image stays the same.
Changes to query results in the GitHub Actions API and UI
Queries for workflow runs in the GitHub Actions API and UI now return a less precise but more accurate count of records when you search by workflow, event, status, branch, or actor. We will continue to return paginated results of up to 1,000 items.
GitHub Actions: macOS 14 runner image retirement
The macOS 14 runner image will be retired on November 2, 2026. To raise awareness of the upcoming removal, jobs using macOS 14 will temporarily fail during the following scheduled brownout periods: October 5, 14:00 UTC to October 6, 00:00 UTC October 12, 14:00 UTC to October 13, 00:00 UTC October 16, 14:00 UTC to October 17, 00:00 UTC October 19, 14:00 UTC...
Actions retention now covers checks, runs, and statuses
As previously announced , checks, workflow runs, and statuses are now governed by the same GitHub Actions retention setting that controls how long artifacts and logs are kept. These records are automatically cleaned up when they exceed the retention period configured for your enterprise, organization, or repository.