---
title: "Laravel 11 is now available!"
description: "Laravel 11, launched on March 12, 2024, marks a significant update to the Laravel framework, introducing a range of new features and improvements aimed at enhancing the development experience and..."
url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/laravel-11-is-now-available/
date: 2024-03-19
modified: 2024-03-19
author: "Derrell"
categories: ["Laravel"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Laravel 11 is now available!

![](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image-1-1024x636.png)

[Laravel 11](https://laravel.com/docs/11.x/releases), launched on March 12, 2024, marks a significant update to the Laravel framework, introducing a range of new features and improvements aimed at enhancing the development experience and application performance. With a focus on efficiency, security, and real-time web application development, Laravel 11 brings forward several key enhancements and introduces [Laravel Reverb](https://reverb.laravel.com), a new WebSocket server for real-time communication.

- [Laravel Support Policy](#policy)
- [PHP 8.2 Requirement](#php-requirement)
- [Streamlined Directory Structure](#directory-structure)
- [Eager Load Limit](#eager-load)
- [Model Casts as Methods](#model-cast)
- [Laravel Reverb](#reverb)
- [New Artisan Commands](#commands)
- [Health Route and APP_KEY Rotation](#health)
- [Install Laravel 11](#install)
- [How to Upgrade to Laravel 11](#upgrade)
- [Conclusion](#conclusion)

## Laravel Support Policy

Laravel’s support policy ensures that developers receive timely updates, bug fixes, and security patches for their applications. According to the policy, Laravel provides 18 months of bug fix support and 2 years of security fix support for each major release. This structured approach to version support enables developers to plan their upgrade paths effectively, ensuring their applications remain secure and up-to-date.

| **Version** | **Supported PHP** | **Release Date** | **Bug Fixes Until** | **Security Fixes Until** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Laravel 9* | 8.0 – 8.2 | February 8, 2022 | August 8, 2023 | February 6, 2024 |
| Laravel 10 | 8.1 – 8.3 | February 14, 2023 | August 6, 2024 | February 4, 2025 |
| Laravel 11 | 8.2 – 8.3 | March 12, 2024 | September 3, 2025 | March 12, 2026 |
| Laravel 12 | 8.2+ | Q1 2025 | Q3 2026 | Q1 2027 |

*(*) Laravel 9 has reached End of Life*

## PHP 8.2 Requirement for Laravel 11

With the release of Laravel 11, a significant shift has been made in the PHP version requirement. Laravel 11 mandates [PHP 8.2](https://www.php.net/releases/8.2/en.php) as the minimum version, aligning the framework with the latest features, performance improvements, and security enhancements offered by PHP 8.2. This decision underscores Laravel’s commitment to leveraging the most current and robust technologies available, ensuring developers can build highly efficient, secure, and innovative applications.

PHP 8.2 introduces numerous new features and optimizations that can significantly benefit Laravel applications. These include enhancements to object-oriented programming, new types and attributes that encourage better coding practices, and performance improvements that can lead to faster application execution. By requiring PHP 8.2, Laravel ensures that all applications built on this version will inherently take advantage of these improvements, leading to more reliable and performant web solutions.

Developers planning to upgrade to Laravel 11 or start new projects with it must ensure their server environments are updated to PHP 8.2. This update not only facilitates compatibility with Laravel 11 but also positions applications to benefit from PHP’s active support, including security fixes and performance optimizations.

## Streamlined Directory Structure

Laravel 11 simplifies its directory structure, reducing the initial complexity for developers. Notably, `Kernel.php` files have been removed, and middleware can now be directly added in the `bootstrap/app.php` file.

app.php

```