The Windows Insider program allows technical enthusiasts that ability to test out pre-release versions of Windows 10 on both the PC and phone. Different from traditional beta programs, the Windows Insider program is open to the public and provides participants with frequent updates at various points of the development process.
As a Windows Insider you can help shape the future of windows by reporting bugs and submitting suggesting with the Windows Feedback app. In addition, insiders gain access to the special Windows Insider Hub app where you can find the latest news about builds and provide additional feedback with quests that ask you to test specific features.
It is important to keep in mind that these pre-release “preview” builds are true beta builds that may and often do contain bugs and known issues. So it is very important to never run these beta builds on your primary computer unless you are willing to tolerate an issue once in a while.
Joining the program is free and available to users world-wide. Unfortunately, Microsoft has limited the number of participants at times so if you are interested, join now by going to https://insider.windows.com/ and click the purple “Get Started” button.
Once you have joined the insider program with your Microsoft ID, there are two options to being receiving preview builds:
- If you are not already running Windows 10, download the media creation tool and create installation media. After you have Windows 10 installed, make sure you follow the steps in the section below to receive future preview builds.
- If you already have a PC running Windows 10, follow the steps below to opt your PC into the program to receive preview builds.
Configure Windows 10 to receive Preview Builds
- Click on the Start Menu and type in Windows Update Settings and hit Enter.
- On the Windows Update screen, select Advanced options.
3. Scroll down the screen until you see the Get Insider Preview Builds section.
4. Click the Get Started button.
5. Click Next on the information screen.
6. Click Confirm on the confirmation screen and then select Restart Now.
7. After your PC has restarted, go back to the Advanced Windows Updates screen (steps 1 through 3). You will now see that your PC is set to receive preview builds and also the type of builds you will receive. By default, when a PC is enrolled in the Windows Insider program it will be placed in the “slow” ring. You can switch this to the “fast” ring where you will receive more frequent builds but these builds also on the cutting edge so they may contain more bugs and be less stable.
Tip: Once you have joined the Windows 10 Insider Program, check out this article to get the Insider Hub installed on your PC.
