Next year's standard Java release could now include opt-in support for HTTP/3, in addition to a host of features to be previewed in JDK 25.
An update of the HTTP Client API, supporting the HTTP/3 protocol, has been added to Java Development Kit (JDK) 26, due in March 2026.
Officially announced on September 3, the HTTP/3 for the HTTP Client API feature is being targeted for JDK 26. This short-term release of Java will follow next month’s long-term support (LTS) release of JDK 25. Removal of the Java Applet API, now considered obsolete, is also targeted for JDK 26.
The HTTP/3 proposal calls for allowing Java libraries and applications to interact with HTTP/3 servers with minimal code changes. Goals include updating the HTTP Client API to send and receive HTTP/3 requests and responses; requiring only minor changes to the HTTP Client API and Java application code; and allowing developers to opt in to HTTP/3 as opposed to changing the default protocol version from HTTP/2 to HTTP/3.
HTTP/3 is considered a major version of the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) data communications protocol for the web. Version 3 was built on the IETF QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) transport protocol, which emphasizes flow-controlled streams, low-latency connection establishment, network path migration, and security among its capabilities.
JDK 26 is slated for just six months of Premier-level support from Oracle, while JDK 25 will have five years of this support. The current version of standard Java, JDK 24, also is set for just six months of Premier support. Other possible features for JDK 26 include features to be previewed in JDK 25, such as structured concurrency; primitive types in patterns, instanceof, and switch; and PEM (Privacy-Enhanced Mail) encodings of cryptographic objects. An experimental feature in JDK 25, JDK Flight Recorder CPU-time profiling, may also be included in JDK 26.
