Main Takeaway: Winter ’26 brings mandatory security enforcements, powerful platform enhancements, and deep AI integrations Plan now: join preview sandboxes in September, update code for new permissions, and get ready for production rollouts in October.
Release Timeline
Salesforce phases Winter ’26 through sandbox previews and staggered production upgrades.
| Phase | Date Range |
|---|---|
| Pre-Release Orgs Available | Now (sign up on Trust site) |
| Sandbox Preview Window | September 7 – October 11, 2025 |
| Production Rollout Begins | October 4 – 5, 2025 |
| Final Production Upgrade | October 11 – 12, 2025 |
| Full Deployment | By Mid-November 2025 |
Scheduled Enforcements in Winter ’26
These previously announced updates become mandatory:
1. Confirm Verified Email Addresses for Legacy Users
Only users created on or before November 1, 2016 can send email if their address is verified. Outbound emails from unverified legacy accounts will be blocked until verification is completed.
2. Secure Roles Behavior & Sharing Group Updates
The sharing group name Roles and Subordinates changes to Roles and Internal Subordinates. Update any code, SOQL queries, flows, or integration metadata referencing roleAndSubordinates to use roleAndSubordinatesInternal to avoid errors.
3. Restrict User Access to Run Flows
With enforcement in Winter ’26, only users granted the Run Flows permission via profile or permission set can execute flows. The old FlowSites org permission is deprecated, tightening flow security across all UI experiences.
4. Service Assistant Permission Model Shift
Access to Agentforce Service Assistant moves exclusively to the Service Planner User permission set license. Feature permissions on the Salesforce license are removed—assign the new license to current users to avoid service disruptions.
Highlighted Winter ’26 Platform Enhancements
- Three-Layered Data Modeling: Architect using conceptual, logical, and physical schemas for clearer data governance.
- Enhanced Flow Inspector: Spot performance bottlenecks and security issues swiftly within Flow Builder.
- Einstein-Powered Service Cloud: AI-driven article suggestions and next-best-action recommendations for faster case resolutions.
- Informatica Integration Foundations: Early data catalog and lineage tooling ahead of full Customer 360 unification.
Preparation Checklist
- Inventory and Audit
Review all flows, Apex classes, sharing rules, and integrations for references to updated behaviors. - Join the Sandbox Preview
Test critical processes between September 7 and October 11 in refreshed sandboxes. - Update Code and Customizations
Replace deprecated API names (roleAndSubordinates, FlowSites) and assign new permission sets. - Align Security Policies
Work with your security team to incorporate enforced role-based sharing and flow permissions into governance. - Plan AI Governance
Define guidelines for Agentforce deployments, including data usage, monitoring, and fallback procedures.
For in-depth details and rolling updates, consult the official Winter ’26 Release Notes on Salesforce Help and engage with the Release Readiness Trailblazer Group.
Apex Journal 
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