AWS Compute Blog

Continued support for Python 2.7 on AWS Lambda

UPDATE – Oct 20, 2020 – We’re extending the support of Python 2.7 in AWS Lambda until at least June 1, 2021. Additionally, Boto3/Botocore SDK for Python 2.7 will also be supported till this date.

Although you will continue to get critical security updates on Python 2.7 runtime and the SDK for the extended support period, we will strongly encourage you make use of this additional time to prepare and migrate to Python3.

Some of you may have questions about this process, and we are ready to help you. Please contact us through the AWS Support, AWS Developer Forums, or AWS account teams with any questions.

The Python Software Foundation (PSF), which is the Python language governing body, ended support for Python 2.7 on January 1, 2020. Additionally, many popular open source software packages also ended their support for Python 2.7 then.

What is AWS Lambda doing?

We recognize that Python 2 and 3 differ across several core language aspects, and the application binary interface is not always compatible. We also recognize that these differences can make migration challenging. To allow you additional time to prepare, AWS Lambda will continue to provide critical security patches for the Python 2.7 runtime until at least December 31, 2020. Lambda’s scope of support includes the Python interpreter and standard library, but does not extend to third-party packages.

What do I need to do?

There is no action required to continue using your existing Python 2.7 Lambda functions. Python 2.7 function creates and updates will continue to work as normal. However, we highly recommend that you migrate your Lambda functions to Python 3. AWS Lambda supports Python 3.6, 3.7 and version 3.8. As always, you should test your functions for Python 3 language compatibility before applying changes to your production functions.

The Python community offers helpful guides and tools to help you port Python 2 code to Python 3:

What if I have issues or need help?

Please contact us through AWS Support or the AWS Developer Forums with any questions.

Happy coding!