The number of insiders is increasing, Microsoft says

Jul 3, 2015 12:32 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has somehow managed to make Windows 10 one of the most exciting products of the year, not only for itself but also for its users and the rest of the tech industry, with millions of people across the world now giving it a try despite the fact that it's available as pre-release software.

And in case you're wondering how many people are testing Windows 10, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's Windows 10 boss, has some interesting statistics: 5 million people are actively using Windows 10 right now.

“We are also rigorously testing and listening to every signal from our 5 million Windows Insiders on the quality and readiness of Windows 10,” he says in a post detailing the way Windows 10 will be delivered to users across the world.

Both mobile and desktop

These figures, however, include testers on both desktops and smartphones, but there's no doubt that there are many more users running Windows 10 on PCs, tablets, and laptops than those who installed it on mobile devices.

And yet, the mobile testing effort is also going according to plan, Microsoft suggests, and it's expected to go even better in the coming weeks, after the PC versions goes out.

Microsoft says that, once the Windows 10 version of PCs is launched, the focus can finally switch to smartphones, so more significant improvements will be available in Windows 10 Mobile preview builds. More engineers from the Windows team will be transferred to the mobile project, so work on this one will go at a much faster pace.

The Windows Insider program will continue, however, after Windows 10 for PCs goes live, and testers can continue running pre-release software in order to help Microsoft develop and improve the next updates for the core OS. Users will be allowed to choose whether to remain part of the Windows Insider program or opt out of it once RTM hits the shelves.