Tails 3.0 will require a 64-bit <span class="definition">[[!wikipedia x86-64]]</span> compatible processor. As opposed to older versions of Tails, it will not work on 32-bit processors.
We have waited for years until we felt it was the right time to do this switch. Still, this was a hard decision for us to make. Today, we want to explain why we eventually made this decision, how it will affect users, and when.
If you see `x86_64`, then you're good: Tails 3.0 should work fine on this computer. But the best way to be 100% sure is to try one of the test versions of Tails 3.0. One was released last November, and a new one should be published later this week, so: stay tuned!
Else, if you see `i686`, then we have bad news: Tails 3.0 will *not* work on this computer. You now have four and a half months to find a computer with a 64-bit processor. Sorry, and good luck with that!
It's no surprise that over the last years, the number of people who use Tails on a 32-bit computer [[!tails_ticket 8183 desc="has dropped"]]: most 32-bit computers are at least ten years old, and one after the other their hardware stops working. As a result, in the beginning of 2016, [[!toggle id="stats" text="only 4%"]] of Tails users were still using a 32-bit computer.
**We want Tails users to be safer**: software built for 64-bit processors can benefit from several improvements that make it harder for attackers to exploit security vulnerabilities (improved [[!wikipedia Address space layout randomization]], compulsory support for the [[!wikipedia NX bit]]).
