# Patch release

> A smaller release with fixes, that comes out between the monthly releases, like 2026.10.1.

Source: https://contributors.home-assistant.io/glossary/patch-release/

- Also: patch releases, patch

The last number of the version counts the patch releases: 2026.10.1 is the first one after 2026.10.0. Fixes are merged into the `dev` branch first, and then picked for the next patch release. Each patch release gets its own section in the release notes of that month. See [Get a fix into a patch release](https://contributors.home-assistant.io/releases/guides/patch-releases/).

## Related terms

- [Release](https://contributors.home-assistant.io/glossary/release/): A new version of Home Assistant. One comes out on the first Wednesday of every month, with patch releases in between.
- [Beta](https://contributors.home-assistant.io/glossary/beta/): A test version of the next release, published a week before it, so people can find problems before everyone updates.
- [Release notes](https://contributors.home-assistant.io/glossary/release-notes/): The blog post on home-assistant.io that tells what is new in a release, what changed, and what users need to do about it.