Microsoft May Be Working on New Insider Program For Surface Duo
- Laurent Giret
- Nov 30, 2022
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Microsoft may be working on a new Insider Program for its Surface Duo devices. References to a new “Surface Insider Program” have been spotted in the latest Surface Duo Android update by Gustave Monce (via Windows Central), though you can’t see them without tinkering with the software.
When enabled, the Surface Insider Program page appears on the System page of the Surface Duo’s Settings app, where it will display ring information. Microsoft already uses different rings for its Windows, Office, and Xbox Insider programs, which allows early enthusiasts to receive beta updates with different levels of polish.
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— Gustave Monce (@gus33000) November 30, 2022
Digging deeper, Monce found that this Surface Insider Program page on the Surface Duo may show beta testers a feature list where they can toggle on or off different features. According to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, “this feature is used internally by engineers, but a public Insider Program for Surface Duo has been on the to-do list for the Duo team for many months.”
If we didn’t see a successor to the Surface Duo 2 this fall, the dual-screen device did receive Android 12L last month. This update brought visual new icons, colors, and UI controls that blur the line with Windows 11’s design language. Android 12L also introduced a new dynamic theming engine, new widgets, and a new Privacy dashboard.
According to Bowden, Microsoft has more new features in the pipeline for the Surface Duo. The new capabilities that are being worked on include a one-handed mode and an easier way to connect the Duo to a Windows PC using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop app.