Windows Insiders will receive new wallpapers for the anniversary

What you need to know

Microsoft has released two new wallpapers to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Windows Insider Program.
Microsoft launched the Windows Insider Program in 2014 to receive feedback from the community and provide early access to certain features.
The Windows Insider Program helped shape Windows 10, Windows 11, and several features in apps on these operating systems.

Microsoft recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Windows Insider Program. This program shaped the design and functionality of Windows 10 and Windows 11 by giving community members the opportunity to test features and provide feedback to Microsoft. According to Microsoft, there are now “millions of dedicated insiders.” To mark the occasion, Microsoft thanked Windows Insiders and released two new wallpapers.

Since the Windows Insider Program launched, it has grown into a massive community providing feedback on Windows and Microsoft apps and services. Many of us at Windows Central have been Windows Insiders since 2014 and have badges to show off.

As the Windows Insider Program turns 10, when testing features and design elements, it’s easy to forget the days before Microsoft released official builds of Windows. While leaks have been fun and we still see some from time to time, my preference is for millions of people to have early access to features.

You can download the high-resolution versions of the new wallpapers via Microsoft’s website (the blog post contains direct download links).

Microsoft also briefly explained its plans for the future of Windows and the Windows Insider Program in its blog post.

“As we mark this significant anniversary, we are excited about the future opportunities and innovations that lie ahead,” said Amanda Langowski of Microsoft. “We remain committed to keeping the lines of communication open, continuing to listen to your feedback, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with Windows.”

The Importance of Windows Insiders

Microsoft has proven how important it is to receive feedback from Windows insiders with its PR disaster surrounding Windows Recall. (Image credit: Windows Central)

We saw what happens when Microsoft doesn’t use the Windows Insider program earlier this year. The tech giant didn’t test Windows Recall with insiders, which resulted in disaster. Our senior editor Zac Bowden speculated that Microsoft wanted to keep Recall secret, but the lack of insider involvement led to several issues being leaked.

“I can’t think of a single feature that would have benefited from public testing more than Windows Recall. “This is the type of feature that needs to be built in openly so that users can learn to trust you with it,” Bowden said.

“Had it been openly tested, these security concerns would definitely have been identified long before general availability and likely addressed before mass hysteria could occur.”

There were other factors at play, but a lack of insider involvement, serious security issues, and other problems with Recall led Microsoft to delay the feature. The tech giant now plans to launch Recall through the Windows Insider program to get feedback.

Windows Recall still requires a Copilot+ PC with an NPU greater than 40 TOPS and a TPM. Copilot+ PCs with Arm-based chips can begin testing Windows Recall this month, while PCs with AMD-based Copilot+ PCs will have to wait until November.

Free wallpapers

It’s probably a little late to make a joke about free wallpapers and not having to pay $50 a year to download images to put on your favorite devices (NerdSync has a great video to catch up on the wallpaper saga ). All joking aside, Microsoft has a good track record of sharing wallpapers for PCs and phones. Microsoft Design has a number of wallpaper collections from past years. There you can download Windows 11 themes, Microsoft Build backgrounds, Microsoft nostalgic scenes, and Surface wallpapers. You can even get wallpapers for the Microsoft Surface Duo even though the device stops working.

What you need to know

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