# 🎧 Apache Kafka 2.6 - Overview of Latest Features, Updates, and KIPs

**URL:** <https://forum.confluent.io/t/apache-kafka-2-6-overview-of-latest-features-updates-and-kips/1446>\
**Category:** News and Blogs\
**Created:** [11 April 2021 15:24 UTC](https://forum.confluent.io/t/apache-kafka-2-6-overview-of-latest-features-updates-and-kips/1446 "2021-04-11T15:24:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![alice.richardson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.confluent.io/alice.richardson/32/137_2.png) [@alice.richardson](https://forum.confluent.io/u/alice.richardson)\
**Post date:** [11 April 2021 15:24 UTC](https://forum.confluent.io/t/apache-kafka-2-6-overview-of-latest-features-updates-and-kips/1446/1 "2021-04-11T15:24:21Z")

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_There’s a new Streaming Audio episode - check it out!_

Apache Kafka® 2.6 is out! This release includes progress toward removing ZooKeeper dependency, adding client quota APIs to the admin client, and exposing disk read and write metrics, and support for Java 14.

In addition, there are improvements to Kafka Connect, such as allowing source connectors to set topic-specific settings for new topics and expanding Connect worker internal topic settings. Kafka 2.6 also augments metrics for Kafka Streams and adds emit-on-change support for Kafka Streams, as well as other updates.

EPISODE LINKS

- [Watch the video version of this podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOiL5kym_Us)
- [Read about what's new in Apache Kafka 2.6](https://www.confluent.io/blog/apache-kafka-2-6-updates/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ch.apache-kafka-2-6_type.community_content.apache-kafka)
- [Join the Confluent Community Slack](https://cnfl.io/confluent-community-slack)
- [Learn more with Kafka tutorials, resources, and guides at Confluent Developer](https://developer.confluent.io/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ch.episode-links_type.community_content.developer)
- [Use **60PDCAST** to get an additional $60 of free Confluent Cloud usage](https://www.confluent.io/confluent-cloud/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ch.oprah_type.community_content.cloud) ([details](https://www.confluent.io/confluent-cloud-promo-disclaimer/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ch.oprah_type.community_content.cloud))

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[**🎧 Listen to the episode**](https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/186154/4849820-apache-kafka-2-6-overview-of-latest-features-updates-and-kips.mp3?blob_id=19936883)