Databricks releases, every cloud
- Databricks Apps is now on by default for workspaces with the compliance security profile enabled
Requires compliance security profile.
- Databricks Apps telemetry is now generally available
Collects traces, logs, and metrics to Unity Catalog tables using OpenTelemetry.
- The counter_diff SQL window function is now available
Calculates differences between consecutive cumulative counter values, available in Databricks Runtime 19 and above.
- Window measures on a numeric index column in metric views
Supports unitless offset and ranges on consecutive integer columns, useful for non-calendar periods like fiscal weeks.
- Horizontal scaling for Databricks Apps will soon be available for workspaces with the compliance security profile enabled Coming soon
Automatically enabled in October 2026 for compliance workspaces, allowing multiple instances behind a single URL.
- See which chunks support each ai_search answer (Beta)
Added generate_citations option to show supporting chunks.
- Run the change, do not just read it. Hands-on labs in your own Databricks workspace, graded when you submit. Browse labs
- time_bucket SQL function aligns timestamps to fixed-width time buckets
Replaces date_trunc for non-calendar units, requires origin and width parameters.
- Automatic change data feed is now generally available
Requires Databricks Runtime 19 or above with row tracking enabled. Makes MERGE and UPDATE operations about 15% faster.
- Databricks Runtime 19: September 1, 2026
Replaces manual change data feed enablement, requires row tracking enabled.
- Databricks Runtime maintenance updates (09/01)
Includes bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements for versions 13.3 to 18.2.
- User authorization for Databricks Apps will soon be available for workspaces with the compliance security profile enabled Coming soon
Enables apps to act with user identity, enforcing existing permissions. Automatically enabled in late September 2026.
- REPLACE USING flows for standalone streaming tables (Beta)
Replaces rows matching specified key columns, requires SEQUENCE BY column.
- Alert system tables are in Public Preview
Contains alerts and alert_evaluation_history tables for auditing and monitoring.
- Change data feed on materialized views (Beta)
Requires Databricks Runtime 18 LTS or above. Enables replication to external destinations.
- Databricks Runtime maintenance updates (08/04)
Includes bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements for versions 13.3 to 18.2.
- Automatic cost attribution for materialized views and streaming tables in Databricks SQL
Inherits custom tags from enclosing SQL warehouse environment for billing.
- Databricks Runtime maintenance updates (07/24)
Includes bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements for versions 13.3 to 18.2.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 18 and Databricks Runtime 18 for Machine Learning have transitioned to LTS
Receives 3 years of stability and security fixes.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Get this table by email. One Monday mail covering the week, filtered to the clouds and products you run. Weekly digest
- Databricks Runtime 19 and Databricks Runtime 19 for Machine Learning are now generally available
Powered by Apache Spark 4.2.0.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 19: July 23, 2026
Enables Arrow-optimized Python UDFs by default, changing type-coercion behavior.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Automated setup for S3 external locations
Uses AWS IAM temporary delegation to configure external locations and provision required resources.
- Warehouse-level statement timeouts (Beta)
Set via statement_timeout field in Create or Update warehouse APIs.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks SQL alerts are now available by default for workspaces with the compliance security profile enabled
Supports all compliance security profile standards, monitors data and KPIs via scheduled queries.
- Lakehouse Real-Time (Beta)
Delivers sub-second SQL read queries against Unity Catalog tables. Built for low-latency workloads.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - MATCH_RECOGNIZE is now in Beta
Requires enabling Match Recognize preview in workspace settings.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime maintenance updates (06/29)
Includes bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements for versions 13.3 to 18.2.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks SQL version 2026.20 is now available in Preview
Adds IP address functions, NEAREST BY join type, and QUALIFY clause, with fixes for MERGE WITH SCHEMA EVOLUTION.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 19 (Beta): June 26, 2026
Restricts environment variables and Spark configurations in standard access mode. Removes previously allowed settings.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Metric view parameters are now in Public Preview
binds values at query time, replacing separate views per variant.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - AUTO CDC flows for streaming tables in Databricks SQL are generally available
Automatically handles out-of-order records as SCD type 1 or 2, replacing complex MERGE INTO logic.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 19 and Databricks Runtime 19 for Machine Learning are in Beta
Powered by Apache Spark 4.2.0.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 19 (Beta): June 15, 2026
Replaces JDK 17 with JDK 21, removes 90 Python packages.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 18: June 10, 2026
Adds Spark Declarative Pipelines and IP address functions, requires no changes to existing setups.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Lakehouse Replay (Beta)
Automatically replays serverless workloads against upcoming runtime releases. Requires no setup.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 18: June 8, 2026
Adds NEAREST BY SQL join type and DESCRIBE TABLE PARTITION for v2 catalog tables.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - UNIQUE constraint support is now in Public Preview
Enables join elimination and DISTINCT simplification on Photon-enabled compute. Applies to Unity Catalog Delta Lake tables.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 18: June 4, 2026
NATURAL JOIN now matches columns case-insensitively by default. Set spark.sql.legacy.naturalJoinCaseSensitiveColumnMatching to true to restore previous behavior.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Apps horizontal scaling (Beta)
Runs across multiple instances behind a single URL, supports zero-downtime deployments.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Databricks Runtime 18: May 29, 2026
Treats NaN values as duplicates, preserves Unity Catalog foreign table permissions during metadata refresh.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud) - Refresh policies and EXPLAIN CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW for materialized views are now generally available
Requires Databricks Runtime 17.3 and above. Available in Databricks SQL.
AWS, read it on their docsAzure, read it on their docsGCP, read it on their docsSAP(not on this cloud)
Headlines, dates and product areas are Databricks' own, and every item links to the note it came from. The one-line summaries are ours.