The time has come when users start getting ads in Windows 11. If you buy a retail version of Windows 11 and think it would be ad-free, those days are now over. Microsoft has officially introduced advertisements in Windows 11 starting with the start menu.
The latest Windows 11 update (KB5036980) that came out this week has ads for apps in the recommended section in the start menu. The recommended section of the start menu is one of the most used parts of the operating system.
“The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps,” according to the release notes. “These apps come from a small set of curated developers.”
The app suggestions in the recommended section of the start menu are enabled by default but thankfully it can be turned off from the settings. if you have installed the latest Windows 11 update and you see the app suggestions in the start menu then you can disable it through the settings. To disable app suggestions, go to settings, navigate, and select “Personalization”. From the left pane, navigate and select “Start” and switch the “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions and more” toggle to “off.”
Microsoft initially teased an app suggestion feature in the beta update a few weeks ago. But now, this feature is included in the latest update indicating how quickly the software giant is implementing updates on the stable release of Windows after they had been tested in the beta releases.
The app suggestion in the Windows 11 update is a surprising move from Microsoft considering that Windows 11 starts at $139 for the Home version. One good thing is that these app suggestions aren’t permanent and Microsoft included the option to disable them if users don’t want these app suggestions. Earlier, Microsoft also tested app suggestions in the File Explorer app on the operating system but discontinued it shortly afterward.
