> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/grafana/k6-docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Release notes

> Learn about new features, breaking changes, and bug fixes for each k6 version

# Grafana k6 release notes

Stay up to date with the latest k6 releases, including new features, improvements, bug fixes, and breaking changes.

## Where to find release notes

You can find detailed release notes for all k6 versions in the official k6 GitHub repository:

<Card title="k6 Release Notes" icon="github" href="https://github.com/grafana/k6/releases">
  View all k6 releases on GitHub
</Card>

## Latest releases

### k6 v0.49.0 (Latest)

Key highlights:

* Browser module improvements
* New experimental modules
* Performance optimizations
* Bug fixes and stability improvements

[View full release notes](https://github.com/grafana/k6/releases/latest)

## Release cadence

k6 follows a regular release schedule:

* **Major releases**: Approximately once per year
* **Minor releases**: Every 4-6 weeks
* **Patch releases**: As needed for critical bugs

## What to expect in releases

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="New features">
    Major and minor releases may include:

    * New k6 modules and APIs
    * New executors and scenarios
    * Protocol support additions
    * Performance improvements
    * New output formats
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Breaking changes">
    Major version updates may include:

    * API changes requiring script updates
    * Deprecated feature removals
    * Changed default behaviors
    * Minimum version requirement updates

    <Warning>
      Always review breaking changes before upgrading in production environments.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Bug fixes">
    All releases include:

    * Bug fixes for reported issues
    * Stability improvements
    * Performance optimizations
    * Documentation updates
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Deprecations">
    Features may be marked as deprecated:

    * Deprecated features remain functional
    * Removal planned for future major version
    * Migration path provided
    * Warnings in documentation and logs
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Upgrading k6

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review release notes">
    Read the release notes for the version you're upgrading to, paying special attention to breaking changes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test in non-production">
    Test your scripts with the new version in a development or staging environment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update your installation">
    Use your package manager or download the new version:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash macOS theme={null}
      brew upgrade k6
      ```

      ```bash Linux (apt) theme={null}
      sudo apt update
      sudo apt upgrade k6
      ```

      ```bash Windows theme={null}
      winget upgrade k6
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the upgrade">
    Check your k6 version:

    ```bash theme={null}
    k6 version
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Recent notable features

Some recent significant additions to k6:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Browser module" icon="browser">
    Browser automation capabilities for end-to-end testing and Web Vitals collection.
  </Card>

  <Card title="WebSocket support" icon="messages">
    Native WebSocket testing with browser-compatible API.
  </Card>

  <Card title="gRPC improvements" icon="network-wired">
    Enhanced gRPC support with streaming and reflection.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Execution context" icon="gauge">
    Access test execution metadata within scripts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Staying informed

Stay up to date with k6 releases:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="GitHub releases">
    Watch the k6 repository on GitHub and enable notifications for releases:

    [github.com/grafana/k6/releases](https://github.com/grafana/k6/releases)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Community forum">
    Join the k6 community forum for announcements and discussions:

    [community.grafana.com/c/grafana-k6](https://community.grafana.com/c/grafana-k6)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Slack community">
    Join the k6 Slack workspace:

    [k6.io/slack](https://k6.io/slack)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Blog">
    Read the Grafana blog for in-depth articles about new features:

    [grafana.com/blog](https://grafana.com/blog)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Version support

k6 version support policy:

* **Latest version**: Fully supported with updates and bug fixes
* **Previous version**: Security fixes and critical bugs only
* **Older versions**: Community support through forums

<Tip>
  We recommend always using the latest stable version of k6 for the best performance and features.
</Tip>

## Contributing

k6 is open source and welcomes contributions:

* Report bugs on [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/grafana/k6/issues)
* Propose features in [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/grafana/k6/discussions)
* Submit pull requests with improvements
* Help with documentation

## Related resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/get-started/installation">
    Installing and upgrading k6
  </Card>

  <Card title="GitHub repository" icon="github" href="https://github.com/grafana/k6">
    k6 source code and issues
  </Card>
</CardGroup>