If you’re still using Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus), you need to be aware that its Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) has officially ended as of April 2026. This means your system will no longer receive security updates.
After being released in April 2016, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS initially benefited from five years of standard support, followed by another five years of additional security coverage through ESM via the Ubuntu Pro subscription. However, with the cessation of ESM for 16.04, it’s crucial to take action to maintain the security of your system.
The recommended course of action is to upgrade to a newer Long-Term Support (LTS) version. However, users can’t upgrade directly from 16.04; the process involves several stages: upgrading from 16.04 to 18.04, then from 18.04 to 20.04, from 20.04 to 22.04, and finally from 22.04 to 24.04.
For businesses or enterprises that cannot upgrade for reasons such as hardware compatibility or critical operational uptime, Canonical offers a Legacy apps add-on through Ubuntu Pro. This option extends the support for the Xenial Xerus, providing an additional five years of security updates for key packages and critical patches, lasting until April 2031.
However, this Legacy add-on is not free. It requires an extra payment on top of any existing Ubuntu Pro subscription, restricting access to security updates for most home users. Those users with an active Ubuntu Pro subscription can check their entitlement status and enable the legacy add-ons via terminal commands. Without the Legacy ESM, users will face security vulnerabilities, especially if they’re on older, less frequently used systems.
For enterprises, the absence of ongoing security coverage poses a significant risk, while for casual home users, it may be a minor concern as they navigate their nostalgia with out-of-date operating systems.