- To join the Microsoft 365 Insider Program, open an app like Word or Excel, and access File > Account > Microsoft 365 Insider > Join Microsoft 365 Insider, check the “Sign me up for early access to new releases of Microsoft 365 apps” option, choose “Beta Channel,” accept the terms, and click “OK.”
On Windows 11 (and 10), if you have a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, you can enroll the Office apps into the Insider program to get hands-on with early previews of new features and improvements for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others, and in this guide, I will outline the steps to complete this process.
The Microsoft 365 Insider Program is similar to the Windows Insider Program, and it’s an offering that allows you to access early previews of upcoming changes to the Microsoft 365 apps (formerly known as Microsoft Office). The program offers two channels, including the “Current Channel (preview)” and the “Beta Channel.” The Current Channel (preview) gives you access to fully supported builds and enables diagnostic data collection. In contrast, the Beta Channel gives you access to early previews with new features and changes as soon as they’re ready for testing.
In this guide, I’ll teach you the steps to enroll your Microsoft 365 suite of apps to the Insider program on Windows 11 or 10.
Steps to join the Microsoft 365 Insider Program
To enroll and get the Insider previews for Microsoft 365 (Office) apps, use these steps:
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Open Microsoft Word (or any other app).
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Click on File.
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Click on Account.
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Click the “Microsoft 365 Insider” menu and choose the “Join Microsoft 365 Insider” option.
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Check the “Sign me up for early access to new releases of Microsoft 365 apps” option.
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Choose the Beta Channel option to receive preview builds of the Microsoft 365 (Office) apps.
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Select the “Check for and apply updates” option.
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Check the option to agree to the terms.
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Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the system will check for updates and install the latest preview of the Microsoft 365 (Office) apps.
If you’re on a macOS computer, you will have to open a Microsoft 365 app, Help > Check for updates > Advanced, and set the “Update channel” setting to “Beta Channel.” Or choose the “Current Channel” to opt-out.
If you want to opt out of the Microsoft 365 Insider Program, open an application, and access File > Account > Microsoft 365 Insider > Change channel, clear the “Sign me up for early access to new releases of Microsoft 365 apps” option, and click the “OK” button.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].