# MySQL 8.0 was scheduled to reach end of life in April 2026: plan tested upgrades to MySQL 8.4 LTS

> Oracle’s MySQL blog says MySQL 8.0 was scheduled for end of life in April 2026. For MySQL HeatWave, Oracle extended 8.0 support to April 2027 with only essential security patches, blocked new 8.0 instances, and will automatically upgrade remaining 8.0 instances to MySQL 8.4 LTS after April 2027.

- Canonical URL: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/mysql-8-0-end-of-life-april-2026-upgrade-8-4-lts-heatwave-april-2027/
- Publisher: Detection Systems & Engineering (DSE Security)
- Author: DSE Security Editorial Team
- Published: 2026-10-18T21:01:37+00:00
- Modified: 2026-10-18T22:22:09+00:00
- Last reviewed by DSE: 2026-10-18
- Resource type: Briefing
- DSE priority: Important
- Topics: Cybersecurity, IT
- Reading time: 2 minutes

## What you need to know

Oracle’s MySQL blog says MySQL 8.0 was scheduled for end of life in April 2026. For MySQL HeatWave, Oracle extended 8.0 support to April 2027 with only essential security patches, blocked new 8.0 instances, and will automatically upgrade remaining 8.0 instances to MySQL 8.4 LTS after April 2027.

## Potentially affected

Organizations running MySQL 8.0 on their own servers or in MySQL HeatWave, including websites, CRMs, ticketing and other applications that use it as their database.

## DSE recommendation

DSE recommends inventorying every MySQL 8.0 instance and scheduling tested upgrades to MySQL 8.4 LTS, starting with internet-facing applications.

## Article

Oracle’s MySQL blog says MySQL 8.0 was scheduled for end of life in April 2026. For MySQL HeatWave, Oracle extended 8.0 support to April 2027 with only essential security patches, blocked new 8.0 instances, and will automatically upgrade remaining 8.0 instances to MySQL 8.4 LTS after April 2027.

## Source facts

Oracle’s [February 5, 2026 MySQL blog post](https://blogs.oracle.com/mysql/extending-mysql-8-0-support-in-mysql-heatwave) says MySQL 8.0 is scheduled for end of life in April 2026, and that Oracle had previously announced automatic upgrades of MySQL HeatWave 8.0 instances to the latest supported 8.4 release after that date. It now extends support for 8.0 instances in MySQL HeatWave until April 2027.

During the extension, existing HeatWave 8.0 instances keep operating and receive critical security patches, with all 8.0 instances automatically upgraded to 8.0.46 in the June 2026 maintenance cycle and only essential OS and database security patches applied until April 2027. Creating new 8.0 instances, changing instance shapes and adding 8.0-based read replicas are not allowed, and restoring a backup produces an instance on the latest 8.4 version.

After April 2027, any remaining HeatWave 8.0 instances will be automatically upgraded to MySQL 8.4 LTS during their next maintenance window. Oracle advises customers to plan upgrades with its sales and support teams and says proactively upgrading to MySQL 8.4 ensures continued access to the latest features and stability.

## Applicability

Use this for any MySQL 8.0 deployment. The extension described applies to Oracle’s MySQL HeatWave service; self-managed servers and other providers’ MySQL services follow their own support terms, so confirm each one.

## DSE recommendation

DSE recommends inventorying every MySQL 8.0 instance and scheduling tested upgrades to MySQL 8.4 LTS, starting with internet-facing applications. Confirm each application vendor supports 8.4, back up and test restores before upgrading, rehearse the upgrade on a copy, and restrict network access to any 8.0 server still waiting.

## Verification

Query each server’s version after the upgrade, confirm applications pass functional tests on 8.4, and recheck the inventory quarterly until no 8.0 instances remain.

## Official reference

[Oracle MySQL Blog — Extending MySQL 8.0 support in MySQL HeatWave (February 5, 2026)](https://blogs.oracle.com/mysql/extending-mysql-8-0-support-in-mysql-heatwave). Reviewed October 18, 2026.

## Primary reference

- Name: Oracle MySQL Blog — Extending MySQL 8.0 support in MySQL HeatWave (February 5, 2026)
- Authority: blogs.oracle.com
- URL: https://blogs.oracle.com/mysql/extending-mysql-8-0-support-in-mysql-heatwave
- Source publication date: Not stated by the source

## Citation and use

Preferred citation: “MySQL 8.0 was scheduled to reach end of life in April 2026: plan tested upgrades to MySQL 8.4 LTS,” DSE Security, https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/mysql-8-0-end-of-life-april-2026-upgrade-8-4-lts-heatwave-april-2027/
Publishing principles: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-updates-editorial-methodology/
Usage and citation policy: https://update.dsesecurity.com/usage/
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