If you don’t like advertising we have bad news for you. It’s just that the ads will invade another place where they shouldn’t be. Microsoft is releasing an update for Windows 11 that integrates ads directly into the Start menu.
Windows 11: now you will have to put up with ads in the Start menu
About two weeks ago, Microsoft began testing a “Recommended” section in the Start menu for Windows Insiders. This recommendations section is designed to show users apps suggested by the Windows Store. It appears that Microsoft has accelerated this function. So now it’s coming to everyone this week as part of today’s KB5036980 update.
According to the release notes, the Recommended section will serve application recommendations that “come from a small set of selected developers”. The tech giant adds that these ads are intended to help users “discover some of the great apps that are available.”
In addition to ads, Microsoft says you may also see frequently used applications in the Recommended section. This will be the case for frequently used applications that are not yet pinned to the Start menu or taskbar.
Fortunately, Microsoft is allowing users to turn off this feature. This can be done by going to Settings > Personalization > Start. There you will see an option to “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions and more”, which you can disable.
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However, this update also adds a larger set of animated icons and improves the widget icons on the taskbar. This is so that they no longer appear diffuse or pixelated. Additionally, widgets on the lock screen are now more reliable.
In other words, leaving advertising issues aside, it is an interesting update.
