Microsoft is replacing Insider builds in Windows 10 with Dev and Beta Channels
Microsoft is changing the model of preview builds in Windows 10. Previously, testers could try early versions of the OS through Rings, but that model is now obsolete, Microsoft says. Three new channels are introduced for different groups.
Windows 10 was always usable for testers in a Fast Ring and a Slow Ring. In 2016, a Release Preview Ring was added. The Rings allowed users to test new features in the operating system. The differences between the Rings mainly concerned the phase in which users received the features. She got the Fast Ring first, but that version often contained the most bugs.
Microsoft will now stop using the Rings and introduce three new channels for testing Windows 10 previews: a Dev Channel, a Beta Channel, and still the Release Preview Channel. The Dev Channel gets the same updates as the Fast Ring; the Beta Channel is similar to the Slow Ring.
The changes are not only in the name, but also in what the user gets. For example, Dev Channel builds are not specifically tied to an upcoming Windows 10 release. “New features and OS enhancements will come in future Windows 10 releases when they’re ready and come as OS updates or as service releases,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post. The Dev Channel is intended for ‘tech-savvy users’.
The Beta Channel is intended for early adopters. Users will also see early, complete builds of Windows 10. They are also associated with that release, such as 20H1, which is cited by Microsoft as an example. In the Beta Channel, Microsoft validates the updates itself before pushing them.
Finally, there is the standard Release Preview Ring, where users can already try the upcoming build. Microsoft also officially supports those builds.
According to Microsoft, it is no longer relevant to divide the previews into early and later betas. For example, last year the company pushed Insider Previews with features from three different builds: 19H1, 19H2, and 20H1. “We want to help Windows 10 testers with options that better suit their needs. We do that by shifting the focus from frequency to quality when releasing the builds.”