14 DAY TRIAL // Windows insiders getting full builds of the next Windows 10 release can also try out early versions of Microsoft’s core OS apps, but the company is making it easier to run the latest app features before everyone else.
Starting with Windows 10 build 17101, Microsoft is rolling out the Windows App Preview Program, which is essentially an extension to the Windows Insider program that makes it possible for users to install early versions of Windows 10 apps without having to install new builds as well.
This program is available for insiders only, so if you’re not part of the testing program, you can’t run early versions of Windows 10 apps. Instead, you can become a Windows insider, and no matter the ring you enroll into, you can receive beta updates for core Windows 10 apps by individually opting for each of them.
“We heard feedback from Windows Insiders that having to opt-in to Skip Ahead to receive the latest app updates wasn’t ideal as it required Insiders to also be on super-early and sometimes unstable builds of the OS,” Microsoft says.
“Insiders told us they wanted to be able to try out the latest app updates but be on the latest Insider Preview builds from the Fast, Slow, and Release Preview rings. Now through the Windows App Preview Program, Insiders in any ring can opt-in to preview individual apps.”
Only these apps are supported for now
Users who are already in the Skip Ahead ring in the Windows Insider program, you don’t need to manually enable preview versions of Windows 10 apps because these are delivered to you anyway.
Other insiders, however, can do this from the Settings app of every supported app. Each app’s Settings section also allows users to opt out of the preview program.
At this point, the apps included in the new preview program are Feedback Hub, Microsoft Photos, Microsoft Sticky Notes, Microsoft Tips, Paint 3D, Windows Alarms & Clock, Windows Calculator, Windows Camera, Windows Mixed Reality Viewer, and Windows Voice Recorded.