Squash some bugs at the first Windows Insider Bug Bash of 2024

What you need to know

• You can join in on the fun from February 28th through March 4th in the Windows Insider Bug Bash. 
• This will be available to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary Channels using the current builds.  
• You can earn badges by completing quests and finding bugs during the bug bash. 

If you want to continue beta testing for Microsoft for free, you can join in on the first Windows Insider Bug Bash in 2024. Taking place from February 28th through March 4th, Windows Insiders can complete quests to look for bugs and give feedback to Microsoft to hopefully improve the Dev and Canary builds of Windows. 

What is the Windows Insider Bug Bash?

The Windows Insider Bug Bash lets Insiders take on quests to find bugs and provide feedback. It is basically a smart way for Microsoft to get free beta testing from its most devoted fans. Still, at the same time, it allows those most invested community members to provide feedback and help shape the current and future builds of Windows. 

The Windows Insider Bug Bash usually takes place a couple of times per year, and this is the first opportunity in 2024 for Insiders to earn some badges and look for issues with the Windows Operating System. 

How do you join the Windows Insider Bug Bash?

If you want to get involved in the 2024 Windows Insider Bug Bush, you can follow the instructions in the post below by @WindowsInsider on Twitter(X). 

As stated in the tweet above, Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary Channels using the current builds can join the Bug Bash. If you haven't joined the Insider program yet but want to give it a try, check out our guide on how to become a Windows Insider. 

There isn't a financial incentive for joining in on the Bug Bash, but you can earn badges and show them off to your friends. Most people take part in the bug bash to learn new skills and cool things you can do on Windows, as well as to help improve a very important operating system that millions of people will use.

While Microsoft is careful to not call this a bug bounty, which usually does include a cash prize or reward, the bug bash is more about community feedback. That being said, if you haven't looked into bug bounties before, they are a legitimate way to make some side money and grow your skills in cybersecurity. If you're interested in cybersecurity but aren't sure where to start, check out our guide for getting started in cybersecurity.

Why would I want to be a Windows Insider?

Honestly, there are very few perks to becoming a Windows Insider in 2024. Back in October of 2023, we reported that Microsoft was retiring the Windows Insider MVP program. Becoming an MVP seemed to have a ton of perks but not all of them are known as the MVPs have to sign an NDA. But we do know that they had several perks like early access to Microsoft Products and the ability to communicate with the product teams. 

Since that program shut down in December of 2023, there is much less incentive to become a glorified free beta tester in the Windows Insider program. That being said, there is always something ephemeral and enticing about being one of the first people to try out the shiny new toy. And while Microsoft builds aren't the most exciting thing in technology, Windows is so ubiquitous that these changes do actually matter. 

Microsoft is notorious for dragging its feet as well with updates and quality-of-life changes, so there are sometimes significant and cool updates that will hit the Dev and Canary Channels that never even make it to the production version of Windows, so that is a perk as well. 

Mostly, being a Windows Insider is a positive in that you can try new things out, give Microsoft your feedback, and hopefully end up with a better end product that makes your workflows easier in the future. Besides the occasional bugs or glitches in the operating system, there isn't really much impact on your daily life if you want to jump into the Windows Insider program, just make sure to be aware that things could break, so I recommend trying it out on a secondary computer if you have one.