Microsoft previously opened its Office and Office 365 suite of productivity tools to a limited amount of eager testers a little while back. With a mildly elaborate email invitation, anyone who wanted to test out upcoming features to Office and didn’t mind several update cycles during that period could sign up and offer feedback.
During the early Office Insider program, the updates were few, the feedback pool small and the platform testing limited. However, it seems Microsoft is ready to remedy those issues by widening the pool of Office Insiders and expanding the number of platforms to which testers can be exposed.
According to the Office team:
Office 2016 is rolling out around the world, and we’re already hard at work on the next wave of updates. We’ve asked Office 365 Home, Personal, and University subscribers to help make the next Office even better by becoming an Office Insider. It’s easy to join, just install the Office Insider build and get early access to the new Office innovations. Tell us what you think, your feedback will make Office great for users worldwide. Office Insider is available on Windows (desktop and mobile), Mac and Android.”
Rather than the exclusive email invitations of old, Microsoft is simplifying the process similar to Windows 10 Insider testing by creating a landing page chalked full of downloads and information to get potential Office Insiders started.
Becoming an Office Insider has just become as easy if not easier than becoming a Windows 10 Insider due to the flexible and multi-platform nature of Office 2016 and Office 365. Here are some quick notes for each platform.
Windows Desktop for Consumer Office 365 subscriptions
– PC for home use: To set up Office Insider on your PC, visit the Additional Install Options page of My Account. Sign in with your Office 365 subscription credentials. Then, choose an Insider option from the Version drop down menu. Click Install and follow the on-screen instructions.
– If you already have Office 365 installed on your PC it isn’t necessary to uninstall. You’ll just be updated to the Office Insider build. If you don’t see an Insider option in the Version menu, it’s most likely that you don’t have an active Office 365 subscription.
Android
– To become an Insider on your Android device, first join the Office Insider for Android community. Then select the app you want to test: Word | PowerPoint | Excel.
Windows 10 Mobile
– To become an Insider for Office Mobile, you can join the Windows Insider program.
Mac
Check the box to join Office Insider in the Microsoft AutoUpdate. To access AutoUpdate, start an Office 2016 for Mac program, and then select Check for Updates on the Help menu.
Downloads for Office on Android, Windows Mobile and Mac can be snagged here, alongside FAQs, community forums, and support information.
Happy downloading, Insiders!
