Short answer: When Pop!_OS 20.10 was supported, upgrading from 20.04 meant installing system updates, then using Settings → OS Upgrade to download and install the release. Version 20.10 is now unsupported, so it is not a safe destination for an internet-connected PC. This guide preserves the historical steps and explains the current option for older systems.
Pop!_OS 20.10 was a non-LTS release from 2020. System76 warned it would stop receiving updates in July 2021; Ubuntu announced that version 20.10 reached end of life on July 22, 2021. It no longer receives security updates, and its package repositories or upgrade offer may be unavailable.
System76 now recommends a fresh installation for releases earlier than 22.04 and warns that old or end-of-life source versions make upgrades riskier. For a maintained computer, back up your files and install the supported version offered on System76’s download page. Use the 20.10 steps below only for an archival or isolated test system.
Open Pop!_Shop, select Installed, and install available updates. Restart if prompted. System76 recommends updating first to help the release upgrade run reliably.
Alternatively, run sudo apt update, then sudo apt full-upgrade in Terminal. Password characters are hidden as you type. Read package prompts, and stop to resolve any reported errors before attempting a release upgrade.
Open Settings → OS Upgrade (called OS Upgrade & Recovery in later versions). Apply a recovery-partition update if offered. Continue only if Pop!_OS 20.10 is listed, then select Download.
Keep power and internet connected until the download completes. Do not start installation while files are still downloading.
When the page says the upgrade is ready, select Upgrade and confirm the restart-and-install prompt. Labels vary by release. Save open work first; the computer will restart to apply the changes.
Pop!_OS installs packages and may restart again. Keep the computer powered on; do not force it off during installation. Read any terminal prompts carefully, especially those about configuration files you have changed.
After signing in, check Settings → About, or run cat /etc/os-release in Terminal. Confirm the release name. A successful install does not make 20.10 safe for regular internet use; it receives no security updates.
A Pop!_OS 20.04 system may no longer offer 20.10. Do not install Ubuntu Update Manager or change Ubuntu’s release-notification setting to force it. Pop!_OS uses its own upgrade tool; changing package sources on an end-of-life system can leave packages mismatched or prevent booting. If repositories or signatures fail, stop and ask System76 support before changing source entries.
For supported upgrades, System76 documents pop-upgrade release upgrade after package updates. The command follows the release offered to the installation; it does not pin 20.10. Do not use it to force this legacy target.
For current security maintenance, back up your files and follow System76’s fresh-install instructions for the supported release on its download page. Its upgrade guide recommends a fresh install before 22.04; its current in-place walkthrough covers 22.04 to 24.04 LTS. A recovery Refresh is different: it reinstalls the version stored in Recovery and removes user-installed applications.
“Upgrade to 20.10” is now a historical task, not a supported destination. Upgrade only to a version offered for your system, or follow System76’s fresh-install path for an older release.
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