diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index d9a87c6fd..c2a13f3ee 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
         "panel": "new",
         "clear": false
       }
-    }
+    },
     {
       "label": "Arduino IDE - Watch Browser App",
       "type": "shell",
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/package.json b/arduino-ide-extension/package.json
index 7fc579cff..60197b311 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/package.json
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/package.json
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
     "@theia/monaco": "next",
     "@theia/navigator": "next",
     "@theia/outline-view": "next",
-    "@theia/preferences": "next",
     "@theia/output": "next",
+    "@theia/preferences": "next",
     "@theia/search-in-workspace": "next",
     "@theia/terminal": "next",
     "@theia/workspace": "next",
@@ -48,14 +48,15 @@
     "@types/which": "^1.3.1",
     "ajv": "^6.5.3",
     "async-mutex": "^0.3.0",
+    "axios": "^0.21.1",
     "css-element-queries": "^1.2.0",
     "dateformat": "^3.0.3",
     "deepmerge": "^4.2.2",
     "fuzzy": "^0.1.3",
     "glob": "^7.1.6",
     "google-protobuf": "^3.11.4",
-    "lodash.debounce": "^4.0.8",
     "js-yaml": "^3.13.1",
+    "lodash.debounce": "^4.0.8",
     "ncp": "^2.0.0",
     "p-queue": "^5.0.0",
     "ps-tree": "^1.2.0",
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-ide-frontend-module.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-ide-frontend-module.ts
index ba580d8b7..4b60d56c7 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-ide-frontend-module.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-ide-frontend-module.ts
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ import { NotificationManager } from './theia/messages/notifications-manager';
 import { NotificationManager as TheiaNotificationManager } from '@theia/messages/lib/browser/notifications-manager';
 import { NotificationsRenderer as TheiaNotificationsRenderer } from '@theia/messages/lib/browser/notifications-renderer';
 import { NotificationsRenderer } from './theia/messages/notifications-renderer';
+import { NewVersionNotification } from './contributions/new-version-notification'
+import { UpdatesRetriever } from './updates/updates-retriever';
 
 const ElementQueries = require('css-element-queries/src/ElementQueries');
 
@@ -653,4 +655,9 @@ export default new ContainerModule((bind, unbind, isBound, rebind) => {
     rebind(TheiaNotificationManager).toService(NotificationManager);
     bind(NotificationsRenderer).toSelf().inSingletonScope();
     rebind(TheiaNotificationsRenderer).toService(NotificationsRenderer);
+
+    bind(NewVersionNotification).toSelf().inSingletonScope();
+    bind(FrontendApplicationContribution).toService(NewVersionNotification);
+
+    bind(UpdatesRetriever).toSelf().inSingletonScope();
 });
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/boards/boards-data-menu-updater.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/boards/boards-data-menu-updater.ts
index a7beed9bb..b911fd2a0 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/boards/boards-data-menu-updater.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/boards/boards-data-menu-updater.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { BoardsDataStore } from './boards-data-store';
 import { MainMenuManager } from '../../common/main-menu-manager';
 import { ArduinoMenus, unregisterSubmenu } from '../menu/arduino-menus';
 
-@injectable()
+@injectable()   
 export class BoardsDataMenuUpdater implements FrontendApplicationContribution {
     @inject(CommandRegistry)
     protected readonly commandRegistry: CommandRegistry;
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/contributions/new-version-notification.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/contributions/new-version-notification.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b55a7b8ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/contributions/new-version-notification.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { injectable, inject } from 'inversify';
+import { MessageService } from '@theia/core/lib/common/message-service';
+import { FrontendApplicationContribution } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/frontend-application';
+import { UpdatesRetriever } from '../updates/updates-retriever';
+import { shell } from 'electron';
+
+const GO_TO_DOWNLOAD_PAGE = 'Go to download page...';
+/**
+ * Listens on `BoardsConfig.Config` changes, if a board is selected which does not
+ * have the corresponding core installed, it proposes the user to install the core.
+ */
+@injectable()
+export class NewVersionNotification implements FrontendApplicationContribution {
+    @inject(UpdatesRetriever)
+    private readonly updatesRetriever: UpdatesRetriever;
+
+    @inject(MessageService)
+    protected readonly messageService: MessageService;
+
+    async onStart(): Promise<void> {
+        if (await this.updatesRetriever.isUpdateAvailable()) {
+            this.messageService.info('New Arduino IDE version available.', GO_TO_DOWNLOAD_PAGE).then(async answer => {
+                if (answer === GO_TO_DOWNLOAD_PAGE) {
+                    shell.openExternal('https://www.arduino.cc/en/software#experimental-software');
+                }
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/updates/updates-retriever.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/updates/updates-retriever.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6537ef718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/updates/updates-retriever.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import axios from 'axios';
+import { injectable } from 'inversify';
+import * as os from 'os';
+import { compare } from 'semver';
+import { remote } from 'electron';
+
+const BASE_URL = 'https://downloads.arduino.cc';
+const LATEST_LOCATION_PARTIAL_URL = `${BASE_URL}/latest-location/arduino-ide/arduino-ide_latest_`;
+const LATEST_VERSION_PARTIAL_URL = `${BASE_URL}/arduino-ide/arduino-ide_`;
+
+@injectable()
+export class UpdatesRetriever {
+    public async isUpdateAvailable(): Promise<boolean> {
+        let filename;
+        switch (os.type()) {
+            case 'Linux':
+                filename = 'Linux_64bit.zip';
+                break;
+            case 'Darwin':
+                filename = 'macOS_64bit.dmg';
+                break;
+            case 'Windows_NT':
+                filename = 'Windows_64bit.exe';
+                break;
+            default:
+                return false;
+        }
+        const response = await axios.head(`${LATEST_LOCATION_PARTIAL_URL}${filename}`)
+        const location = (response.headers?.location as String); 
+        if (location && location.startsWith(LATEST_VERSION_PARTIAL_URL)) {
+            const latestVersion = location.split('_')[1];
+            const version = await remote.app.getVersion();
+            return compare(latestVersion, version) === 1;
+        } 
+        return false;
+    }
+}