At the beginning of this year, Microsoft's Windows President, Pavan Davuluri, pledged to improve general user sentiment around Windows 11 by addressing major pain points across the operating system and listening to customer feedback.
The tech giant has already made good on some of these promises by bringing back the fan-favorite vertical Taskbar in Windows 11. There are also plans underway to pull back from its big AI push in Windows 11, reducing where Copilot and integrations appear across the operating system.
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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.
Marcus Ash, Microsoft’s lead for Design and Research across Windows & Devices
Microsoft held its first Windows Insider meetup in Seattle last month, which, according to Ash, "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, Windows Insider meetups are hitting the road. If you're interested in being part of this experience, you can register to secure your spot. Here's where you can expect the program to land in the next couple of months:
- April 21 – New York City (USA)
- May 7 – Hyderabad (India)
- May 13 – Taipei (Taiwan)
- June 4 – San Francisco (USA)
- June 23 – London (UK)
Senior Editor Zac Bowden previously said, "Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program has become a shell of its former self in recent months, to the point where it no longer makes sense to sign up and test new features, as there’s no guarantee the features will even be made available to you."
So, perhaps these Windows Insider meetups could be a stepping stone to bigger things like a major Windows event, which Microsoft last held in 2024. Bowden argued that Microsoft should bring back the annual Windows event and stop acting as if it's "ashamed" of the platform. This could be a step in the right direction.
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