Do you want to take a look at the future of Office? Here we explain how you can already install the Office 2016 preview. It's dead simple - but remember that you need to be running Windows 7, 8 or 10 to use the new Office suite.
Just months after the release of the locked Office 2016 developer preview, Microsoft has opened the proverbial doors to the Office 2016 consumer preview. Also read: Office for Windows 10 - Getting started with the new apps.
Aside from the beautiful, touch-sensitive Office apps currently being tested in Windows 10, Office 2016 seems largely a minor update to Office 2013. You won't see any major changes. But Office 2016 packs in a host of useful new tweaks and tricks, such as real-time document collaboration, the ability to access and share data through third-party apps and other outside sources, plus a TellMe search field that enables natural searches. language to get you to the precise features you're looking for.
Do you want to take a look at the future of Office? Here we explain how you can already install the Office 2016 Preview. It's dead simple - but remember that you need to be running Windows 7, 8 or 10 to use the new Office suite.
Forget the past
Before actually installing the Office 2016 Preview, you must remove all existing Office installations from your PC. Like the official Office releases, the Office 2016 Preview doesn't go well with its siblings.
Removing your existing Office software is easy. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program and remove the Office programs. But wait a minute! You'll need to make a note of the product key for your current version of Office first, so you can reinstall it when the Office 2016 Preview ends. (When I opened Word 2016 Preview on May 4, I was notified that the software would be valid for 179 days.)
If you don't have your product key handy, run Belarc Advisor - one of the free, critical tools that can reveal your PC's deepest secrets - before uninstalling Office. A report will appear in your browser; look for the Office product key in the Manage all your software licensessection of the page. Keep it somewhere you can't lose it!
The next steps vary depending on whether you have an Office 365 subscription, but it's a simple process anyway.
This is how you install the Office 2016 Preview
Installing the Office 2016 Preview should go very smoothly if you have an Office 365 subscription. (My colleague Mark Hachman, for some reason, failed to install Office 2016 through Office 365, while I had no problems installing the standalone version.) Just go to your Office 365 My Account page and click on Language and install options. Then click Additional install options. Choose whether you want to install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the Office 2016 Preview.
Once the software is installed, the first time you open an Office app, you'll need to enter the email address associated with your Office 365 subscription.
The process is just as easy if you don't have an Office 365 subscription. Visit the Office 2016 Preview page and download the executable file for the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office. When the download is complete, click the program icon to start the installation process.
When prompted to enter the email address associated with your Office 365 subscription, click the little blue link Enter a product key click below the text field. Then use this product key:
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That is it! Poke around, try all the new things and make sure to send Microsoft feedback through the smiley face icon. Microsoft would like to know if you encounter bottlenecks or have smooth experiences. After all, that's what previews are for.
Speaking of previews, Office 2016 isn't the only preview Microsoft currently has on offer. To get an early look at the future of Windows, you can read Computer!Total's guide to installing the Windows 10 Preview, as well as our hands-on review.
You can even install the Office 2016 Preview inside the Windows 10 Preview if you like previews in previews so you can test features and stability while testing features and stability.
