Facepalm: It seems Microsoft has decided that contrary to popular belief, people really do like ads. The company is rolling out Start menu advertisements to all Windows 11 users after testing them at the start of the month, suggesting the negative user feedback didn’t outweigh the benefits for Microsoft
It was only a couple of weeks ago when Microsoft started testing more Start menu ads in Windows 11 – something it experimented with a year earlier – in the latest Windows Insider build.
The ads appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu. They consist of recommendations for apps from the Microsoft Store that the company says come from a small set of curated developers.
The ads are now part of the optional KB5036980 update being made available to all Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 users. The update is a preview of the Patch Tuesday update for May, so everyone will get it soon enough.
Looks like the Start menu’s Recommended section will be getting app promotions, similar to suggested apps in Start in Windows 10. This can be toggled off from Settings (Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more). pic.twitter.com/zYYnTKs9qw
– PhantomOcean3 ð³ (@PhantomOfEarth) April 9, 2024
The ads are the first element of the update that Microsoft covers in its release notes. The Redmond firm writes that the feature will help users discover some of the apps and games available on the store.
Any Windows feature that appears on Insider Channels isn’t guaranteed to make it into the full version of the OS, especially if there’s a lot of pushback from users. But despite nobody wanting ads embedded into Windows, here we are. It seems Microsoft really wants developers to build more Windows apps that can fill up its store.
Microsoft’s reasoning could be that the ads can easily be disabled. Just go to Settings > Personalization > Start, and turn off the toggle for Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.
The update does add some useful features, including the Start menu’s Recommended section showing your most frequently used apps. The Widgets icons on the taskbar are also being improved so they’re no longer pixelated or fuzzy. Widgets on the lock screen are being made more reliable and have improved quality, too. Still, it’s unlikely that this will appease irritated users.