Windows 10 gets frequent updates but if you want to always benefit from the latest features you would need to join the Windows Insider Program on PC.
Joining the Windows Insider Program allows you to get preview builds for your computer. While making sure you always have the newest capabilities in Windows 10 may sound exciting, keep in mind the preview builds are not always perfect.
It’s possible to experience weird bugs, system instability, errors and other similar problems that may appear when testing software products.
How to join the Windows Insider Program on PC
Assuming you care more about benefiting from the newest Windows 10 features than the occasional bugs, keep reading to find out how you can join the Windows Insider Program on PC.
Before we get to the instructions, you should know the Windows Insider Program is only available for Windows 10 users, so you won’t be able to join it if your computer is running an older version of Windows.
To begin with, you will need to open the Settings app and navigate to Update & Security -> Windows Insider Program. You may need to wait for a bit so the information on the right pane finishes loading.
Click on “Get started” to continue.
You’ll be prompted to select an account. Click on the “+” button, choose the account you want to enroll in the Windows Insider Program and click on “Continue”.
Insider options for Windows 10 have changed a bit over time, so assuming you’ve allowed your PC to receive updates for the stable build so far, you’ll be prompted to select the type of content you want to receive. Users now have the option to get only fixes, apps, and drivers – if you select it, you won’t receive any system updates.
You can also select “Active development of Windows” which means you’ll receive more frequent updates. The “Skip ahead to the next Windows release” would theoretically let you receive only major releases but it’s closed for the time being. If you select it, you will quit the Windows Insider program.
For the purpose of this guide we’ve selected “Active development of Windows”. This is the options that ensures you always have the latest builds.
At this point, you’ll be prompted to select at what pace you’d like to receive preview builds. You can choose between “fast” and “slow”. Both options come with pros and cons. If you select “slow” you’ll receive builds that have already been tested by those who selected “fast” and you’ll have a smaller (but still existing) chance of experiencing bugs and similar problems.
If you select “fast”, you’ll be among the first to test new builds and enjoy the latest features but these builds have gone through a smaller period of testing so there’s a higher risk of encountering issues.
Now that you know what both options mean, you can make an informed decision. Once you select one of them hit the “Confirm” button to continue. Regardless which of the two option you select, you’ll be prompted to confirm a second time.
To finalize the process and start receiving Insider Preview builds, you will need to restart your computer. If you have some unsaved work you can select the “Restart Later” option (and manually restart Windows when you’re ready) or minimize the windows, finish whatever you were working on and then click the “Restart Now” option.
It’s worth mentioning that no updated will be installed after you restart your PC. If you’re impatient you can check to see if there are any updates available from Settings -> Update & security -> Check for updates but usually it takes around 24 hours for a new PC to be enrolled in the Windows Insider program.
Even if you don’t manually check for updates, they’ll be automatically installed as soon as they’re available since Windows 10 performs a check once a day.
Also, if you have other computers and devices you’d like to enroll in Windows Insider, you will need to perform the steps above for each. Even if you’re using the same Microsoft account for other devices they still need to be configured separately to receive Insider Preview builds.
If you ever change the pace for the Preview builds or go back to the latest Windows 10 public release you can return to the Windows Insider Program Settings page to do this.
