Microsoft Announces a Series of Windows Insider Meetups

As Microsoft is working on big Windows 11 changes inspired by user feedback this year, the company also wants to reconnect with its Windows Insider community.  Marcus Ash, the head of Design and Research across Windows & Devices, just announced a series of Windows Insider meetups across the world, starting with New York City on April 21.

“Last month, we took our first step by hosting an Insider meetup in Seattle. It was an opportunity to connect the community directly with members of the Windows product team, get hands‑on with new experiences, share what’s working well, and be candid about what we can do better.
Now, we’re taking that experience on the road, bringing it to five more cities over the next few months,” Ash wrote on the Windows Insider blog.

There are already five announced Windows Insider meetups across the US, the UK, India, and Taiwan, with more dates and cities to be announced later:

• April 21 – New York City (USA)
• May 7 – Hyderabad (India)
• May 13 – Taipei (Taiwan)
• June 4 – San Francisco (USA)
• June 23 – London (UK)

“At each stop, I’ll be there alongside members of the Insider team and our Windows product makers, sharing where the Windows Insider Program is headed and, just as importantly, listening to how we can keep making it better for you,” Ash said today. You can register to participate in one of these meetups on this page.

Microsoft used to do many Windows Insider meetups during the Windows 10 era, when the program was led by Gabe Aul and then Dona Sarkar. I’m not sure if this led to improvements in Windows quality, but maybe Microsoft paying more attention to what Windows users actually want would have helped to avoid disasters such as the rollout of the controversial Windows Recall feature. Many Windows 11 users also probably think that it’s time to de-enshittify Windows 11.

Last but not least, Microsoft is about to change how the Windows Insider program works, and I hope this means early enthusiasts won’t need to use third-party tools to enable features they want to test anymore. “We are taking action on your feedback to improve the Insider Program, from clearer channels to more control over the features you care about, and more. We are excited to share more details about these changes later this week,” Ash said today.