The Windows Insider Program is an excellent way for advanced or curious users to try in-development builds of Windows 11 before anyone else, even if Microsoft has historically made life difficult by hiding new features, ignoring popular feedback, and requiring regular OS reinstalls. Now, the company is addressing some of the program's worst problems in a big shakeup.
Microsoft’s Alec Oot, a product manager for Windows Update and the Windows Insider Program, announced the company’s Insider strategy shift in a recent blog post, writing that the company will “begin rolling out these changes in the coming weeks.” It’s all in line with Microsoft’s new approach to Windows, and I think avid Windows fans have plenty of compelling reasons to either rejoin the program or try it for the first time when the changes occur.
1. No More Obnoxious Windows Reinstalls
The process of leaving the Insider Program has always been complex. To get back to a stable version of Windows, you often had to reinstall it, which meant losing all your applications. You sometimes had a grace period to move between channels at different points in Microsoft’s Windows development process, but it was always a pain.
Oot’s blog post states that Microsoft will soon allow you to revert to the stable release of Windows 11 without performing a clean install, using “in-place upgrade” technology to migrate your applications and settings. This change doesn't apply to Future Platforms builds that run on different Windows core versions, but it still removes a major barrier to entry for anyone curious about the latest Windows features.
Soon, you won’t have to erase your PC’s data to stop getting Insider preview builds (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)
2. Reimagined Insider Channels
Microsoft is reworking Insider channels so it's abundantly clear what you're getting with each. The current channel mix is extremely confusing, and it’s unclear which channels get new features first. Currently, switching between different Insider channels often requires a full Windows reinstall, too.
Soon, the Windows Insider Program will have a Release Preview channel with nearly-finished updates, a Beta channel with features in development, and an Experimental channel for bleeding-edge software. The Experimental channel will offer two separate build versions: one on the same Windows core version as the rest, and a Future Platforms option. As long as you don’t pick the Future Platforms option, you can switch between Insider channels without performing a full reinstall of Windows.
Microsoft is axing the Canary and Dev channels, replacing them with an Experimental channel (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)
3. More Visible Experimental Features
The blog post also promises the ability to activate experimental features in a few clicks, making Insider builds much more intriguing. Currently, Microsoft often announces experimental features coming to Insider builds, which then only ever arrive on some PCs. The company uses this same controlled feature rollout (CFR) strategy when deploying features to stable Windows 11 builds.
I've never thought this process made much sense for already experimental Windows builds, on which testers want to experience the latest software features. Many Windows geeks have thus turned to unsupported third-party applications, such as ViVeTool, which lets them skip the controlled feature rollout process and activate new features. But enabling features before they are ready can cause issues. Microsoft is thankfully ending the CFR process in the Beta channel, ensuring that all Windows 11 builds have the same features.
Experimental channel builds of Windows 11 are getting a Feature Flags page in the Settings app, too. If you hear about a new feature you want to try and have a spare PC available, you can install an Insider build and use this page to enable that feature—no third-party software necessary.
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The Windows Insider Program page in Windows 11’s Settings app will soon have a Feature Flags section (Credit: Microsoft)
4. Improved Direct Feedback (Hopefully)
The Windows Insider Program lets Microsoft gather data about how new Windows updates perform on PCs in the real world, and it gives people outside Microsoft a peek at what the company is working on. But Microsoft also launched the Windows Insider Program as part of Windows 10’s development process—along with a Feedback Hub—to show it was listening to PC users.
Although insiders have long been able to submit feedback and vote on Windows changes, Microsoft seemingly hasn't been listening. For example, one of the top requests on the Feedback Hub is to let you move the Windows taskbar. Microsoft ignored this request for years and is only now acting on it. I certainly hope this program revamp means that the company is prioritizing Windows Insider feedback going forward. Bringing back Windows Insider meetups in cities around the world to let users chat with the people working on Windows is a good start.
The Feedback Hub lets you make suggestions for Windows—and vote on other people’s suggestions (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)
Proceed With Caution: Bugs Still Included
I’ve been running Insider builds for years, so I’m excited that I’ll be able to hop between versions without reinstalling Windows and try experimental features without ViveTool soon. If you’re at all interested in new Windows capabilities—and want to vote on changes to the OS—you have better reasons to install an Insider build on at least one of your PCs than ever before. You might even get to try experimental features that never make it to the stable version of Windows, which is always fun.
But you still need to be cautious. Insider builds are unstable and might have bugs, so I caution against running them on your primary PC. You don't want to be without a functioning computer if something goes wrong.
About Our Expert
Chris Hoffman
Senior Writer, Software
Experience
I've been writing about technology for more than 15 years and using it in earnest for over twice as long. As a member of PCMag's software team, I focus on Windows coverage, but also write about other key desktop operating systems and system apps. (I used Windows 3.1 upon its release and have followed every subsequent release closely).
Prior to joining PCMag, I wrote for How-To Geek starting in 2011, and my articles amassed over a billion page views. I went on to run the publication as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. I have also contributed to Computerworld, Fast Company, PCWorld, Reader's Digest, The New York Times, and many other outlets about everything from AI to PC hardware to Windows. I founded and ran my own direct-to-reader Windows-focused newsletters, Windows Intelligence and The Windows ReadMe, working in partnership with Thurrott.com.
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