Office 365: Current Channel vs. First Release

Microsoft Office 365 has been a huge leap forward for PowerPoint (and all Office apps) if nothing more than it has enabled Microsoft to easily release updates small and large to the applications. One item that is causing lots of confusion is the idea of “Current Channel” and “First Release.”

Here is how to determine what your install of Microsoft Office is.

  1. Open PowerPoint
  2. Go to File > Account
  3. On the right side under Product Information and Subscription Product, look for the OFFICE UPDATES section
    First Release 1
  4. This will list either CURRENT CHANNEL or FIRST RELEASE
    First Release 2

 

Note: the FIRST RELEASE option is also called OFFICE INSIDER, which has 2 levels: Insider Slow and Insider Fast.

Next Post: how to change which channel you have in the Office 365 Admin console.

 

-Troy @ TLC