About upgrading FileMaker Pro from a previous version
To upgrade an existing installation of FileMaker Pro from the previous major version to the current version, use the updater. You can use the updater in two ways:
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Check for Updates: In FileMaker Pro, choose Help > Check for Updates. If an update is available, the Software Update dialog opens.
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Download Updater: Go to Updates and release notes, download the updater for the version you want to upgrade to, then start the updater.
The steps for upgrading, including how to keep a previous version so you can run two major versions side by side, depend on your platform. See:
If you have problems upgrading FileMaker Pro, visit Customer Support.
Notes
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If you use FileMaker Pro to connect to a host running an earlier version of FileMaker Server, you may need to wait to upgrade FileMaker Pro until the host is upgraded to a compatible version. If you're unsure, ask your IT department, server administrator, or app developer. For supported host versions, see FileMaker Technical Specifications.
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FileMaker Pro 2025 is version 22. The next major release, FileMaker Pro 2026, is version 26—skipping the intervening numbers so the major version number matches the year.
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When you use Check for Updates, the Software Update dialog offers you the latest update for your current version—for example, an update from 22.0.1 to 22.0.3. If you already have the latest update for your current version installed, the dialog offers you the latest update for the next major version, if available—for example, 26.0.2. Therefore, you may need to use Check for Updates to update your current version first, then use it again to upgrade to the next major version.
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An updater can upgrade only one major version at a time. If your installed version is more than one major version earlier than the current version, upgrade through each major version in turn. Use Check for Updates repeatedly, or download an updater for each major version. An updater can't upgrade versions earlier than FileMaker Pro 2024 (version 21). In that case, use the full installer to install the current version.
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To use these methods to upgrade from the previous major version, you must have an eligible license and an active subscription or maintenance contract.
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If you purchased FileMaker Pro as a single-license upgrade and choose to uninstall the previous version before installing the latest version, make sure you have the license certificate file for the previous version. When you install FileMaker Pro with an upgrade license, if a previous version isn't installed, you're asked to provide the license certificate file for the previous version of the product.