How can I become a member of the Xbox One Preview Program?

Update: As of 12 November 2016 my Xbox One console has been upgraded by Microsoft to the new Xbox Insider Program. This means I am no longer able to invite anyone into the preview program as Microsoft is not allowing anyone else to join for the ability to get new builds as that program is being capped off with current participants.

The new Xbox Insider Program will be available to everyone once it is widely released in the coming weeks with the new Holiday Update for the console.

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In the last 10 days or so there has been a lot of talk about the Xbox One console and what is happening with it from a hardware and software perspective.

The hardware questions should get thoroughly answered in a couple of weeks when the gaming world descends on Los Angeles for the 2016 version of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

No matter what happens on the hardware side we learned this past week that Microsoft's Xbox team is ready to start the testing process that will eventually see the Windows 10 Anniversary Update arrive on existing Xbox One consoles in July.

Just one of the cool things coming with this update is a centralized Windows Store that will allow users to download and install Universal Windows Platform apps on their Xbox One consoles.

This past week Microsoft started contacting Xbox One users who had previously participated in the Xbox One Preview Program to invite them to pre-enroll in the newest installment that will be starting soon according to Xbox's Mike Ybarra who oversees the program.

However, what do you do if you have never participated in a previous Xbox One Preview Program?

How do you get that golden ticket to testing nirvana?

To steal a phrase from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band the answer is With a little help from my friends.

Here is what you do:

1.  Find out which one of your Xbox Live friends are already in the Xbox One Preview Program.

2.  Ask them to invite you from their console using the Xbox Preview Dashboard. They will need your gamertag to do this.

3.  After Microsoft processes that invitation you will receive an Xbox Live message with a link to download the Xbox Preview Dashboard so you can register your console (opt-in).  The time frame between being invited by your friend and receiving that message can vary and is dependent on Microsoft. I recently invited a friend and they received the invite within 24 hours.  Everyone's mileage may vary.

4.  Once you download the Xbox Preview Dashboard and opt-in for testing future builds of the Xbox One console operating system, aka Windows 10, you will have to wait like all of us to be validated and ready for the next preview release.

5.  If all else fails and you do not have any friends in the program then contact me on Xbox Live, my gamertag is WinObs, and I will invite you to the preview program myself. (See update at the top of this article as of 12 November 2016. Thanks.).

Just like testing Fast and Slow Ring builds of Windows 10, testing preview versions of the Xbox One console includes some risks so make sure you are OK with bugs that could impact your daily use of Xbox One.

I have been in the Xbox Preview Program since it began and, knocking on wood as I type this, there have not been any major issues for me. More than anything a few annoyances but they were tolerable.

Let me put it like this, if you are likely to get upset because any small aspect of your Xbox One might stop working then this program is not for you.  Once the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is officially released this summer all consoles will be transitioned over to it but that will be a stable build versus buggy pre-release software.

If you have more questions or want to read more about the Xbox Preview Program be sure to check out the Xbox One Preview Program FAQ.

But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.

Update: As of 12 November 2016 my Xbox One console has been upgraded by Microsoft to the new Xbox Insider Program. This means I am no longer able to invite anyone into the preview program as Microsoft is not allowing anyone else to join for the ability to get new builds as that program is being capped off with current participants.

The new Xbox Insider Program will be available to everyone once it is widely released in the coming weeks with the new Holiday Update for the console.