As if the Windows 11 experience wasn’t commoditized enough, Microsoft has begun testing ads in the Windows 11 Start menu, a change that’s rolling out to users in the Beta channel in the United States.
Windows 11 updates fix a record 147 defects. That’s why I switched to macOS.
Specifically, these ads will promote apps available in the Microsoft Store and appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu. According to Microsoft’s blog post, these targeted ads are only available to Windows Insiders and do not include commercially managed devices.
While Microsoft enables these ads by default, users can choose to disable them through the Settings menu. Since these features are only in beta, user feedback may have a big impact on their future inclusion in official releases of Windows 11.
Embedding ads in operating systems is nothing new for Microsoft. Previous instances in Windows 10 include promotional content on the lock screen and Start menu. Specifically, in Windows 11, Microsoft experimented with ads in File Explorer, but the feature was later discontinued in beta due to poor feedback.
As such, this latest test is a continuation of Microsoft’s exploration of integrating ads into its platform, signaling a possible shift toward a more ad-inclusive strategy in future iterations of Windows.
Does anyone want this? No. Is this the future we’re headed for? perhaps!