Windows 11 Start menu

Microsoft is beginning to allow all users to see advertisements within the Windows 11 Start menu. Microsoft has begun rolling out update KB5036980 to Windows 11 users this week, which adds “recommendations” for programs from the Microsoft Store under the Start menu. This comes after testing them out short with Windows Insiders earlier this month.

In the update notes for its most recent public Windows 11 release, Microsoft states that "the Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps." "A select group of developers created these apps." Although the purpose of the advertisements is to encourage Windows 11 users to download more applications, the developers who Microsoft is attempting to persuade to create more Windows apps stand to gain the most.

Given that Microsoft began testing these advertisements just two weeks ago, it's astonishing how quickly this "feature" moved from the Beta Channel to release. When we were first testing, I said that Microsoft "may decide to ditch these ads" if enough evidence indicated that they weren't well-liked. However, two weeks of feedback is definitely insufficient to make that determination.

Luckily, you can turn off these advertisements, or as Microsoft refers to them, "recommendations." Go to Settings > Personalization > Start after installing the most recent KB5036980 update, and disable the "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more" checkbox. Although KB5036980 is currently optional, Microsoft plans to deploy it to all Windows 11 computers in the upcoming weeks.

Similar advertising placements in the Windows 10 lock screen and Start menu preceded Microsoft's decision to allow advertisements in the Windows 11 Start menu. Last year, Microsoft also began testing advertisements inside of Windows 11's File Explorer. However, they quickly disabled the trial and declared it to be "not intended to be published externally." I hope the experiment stays just that—an experiment.