In this post, I will guide you on how to join Microsoft Edge Insider Program. Joining the Edge Insider Program lets you download preview versions of the browser and try new features before they reach the stable release. You can choose a channel that suits you: Beta for more stability, Dev for weekly updates, or Canary for daily updates. You can keep Insider builds alongside your regular Edge, send feedback to Microsoft, and switch back any time if you change your mind.
Microsoft also offers Insider Programs for other products such as OneDrive, Windows 11, and Windows Server. I’ve created step-by-step guides for each of these programs, which you can explore through the links below for more details on how to join.
- How To Join OneDrive Insider Program On Windows 11.
- How To Join Windows Server Insider Program.
- How To Join Windows Insider Program On Windows 11 PC.
Before we proceed to the steps, let’s understand the different insider channels available for Edge browser. Let’s take a look.
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Edge Insider Channels
There are three insider channels for edge browser. Join these channels based on your requirements.
- Canary: newest features, updates daily, least stable. Good for lab/testing scenario.
- Dev: early features, updates weekly. Better stability than Canary.
- Beta: pre-release that’s close to stable, new features ~every 4 weeks plus fixes as needed. Ideal for long-running testing.
Steps to Join Microsoft Edge Insider Program
You can join the Edge Insider Program directly from within the Edge app by following the steps below:
- Open Microsoft Edge > click on three dots > Settings > About Microsoft Edge. Alternatively, go to the address bar and type: edge://settings/help. If you’ve been enrolled, you will see the Preview Microsoft Edge releases early and the toggle switch to manage it. If you do not see this option, refer to the next step, where you can download the Insider build and install it on your device.
Below screenshot shows Microsoft Edge current version number along with the Insider build information.
Another option is to download the insider build of edge browser directly from Microsoft website and install it on your device. You can run the insider build and standard build browser side by side. Use the drop-down for the channel you want to use and download edge browser.
- For demonstration purpose, I have downloaded Microsoft Edge beta version.
- Search for Microsoft Edge in the Start menu. You should now see two instances: the standard Microsoft Edge you’ve been using, and the Insider build (for example, Beta).
Quick Installation of Edge Insider Version using Winget
# Dev
winget install --id=Microsoft.Edge.Dev -e
# Canary
winget install --id=Microsoft.Edge.Canary -e
# Stable (if you want to go back)
winget install --id=Microsoft.Edge -e