It’s no secret that Microsoft wanted to put ads in the Windows 11 Start menu. The tech giant began testing ads in its beta builds a few weeks ago, and previous versions of Windows had also advertising in the start menu. Since Wednesday, the update adding these ads to the Start menu has been rolling out.
According to Microsoft, Start Menu ads will consist of Microsoft Store apps chosen from a “small set of select developers.” The ads will appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu which previously only displayed documents and images that the user had recently used. When you click on an ad, you will be redirected to the Microsoft Store to download the app.
Microsoft isn’t just adding ads to the Start menu. The update’s changelog also indicates that frequently used apps already installed on the user’s machine will also appear in the Recommended section alongside advertisements. Apps will only appear there if they are not already pinned to the taskbar or Start menu.
At the moment, the update is optional. You can find it by going to Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates where you can install update KB5036980.
In addition to Start Menu ads, the update includes additional fixes and improvements. Notably, this update fixes an issue where widget icons on the taskbar may be pixelated or blurry. Lock screen widgets are also improved and Microsoft says they will be more reliable in the future. Some of the minor bug fixes include fixing an issue with the Japanese 106 keyboard layout and a freezing issue with the Settings app. Full documentation is available on the Microsoft Support website.
So far, the update has been installed for a few hours and I haven’t seen any ads yet, although some users and posts have managed to get them to appear. It’s likely that Microsoft hasn’t yet enabled advertising for the majority of users and will wait to do so until the update is rolled out to more machines.
Ads in Windows are not new
The Start menu is just the latest victim of Microsoft’s plan to add advertising to as many parts of Windows as possible. However, advertising has been present in the operating system for a long time now. Microsoft’s search user interface recommends web articles, apps, games, and other promotional materials. For the most part, users opt out of these ads or have them turned off.
Windows 10 also had advertising directly in its Start menu, so this is something Microsoft has already done. This was done in exactly the same way with promoted apps appearing as thumbnails that you had to manually remove so you could use that space for other things if you wanted. In all honesty, it’s surprising that it took this long for Microsoft to start adding ads to the Windows 11 Start menu.
When will I receive the update with Start Menu Ads?
The update is now available as an optional update in Windows Update. However, Microsoft lists update KB5036980 as an April release, so it should start rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks. My machine automatically installed the update on Wednesday, so it’s not optional for everyone.
You can check if you have it installed by opening Windows Update then check your Update history. If it shows KB5036980, the update is installed. If you want to install it yourself, go to Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates to see if it’s there.
Whether it’s Wednesday or Thursday, the update will arrive eventually, as it is an official Windows 11 update. There is no way around this and you will eventually have to update if you want to keep your system up to date.
What do the new ads look like?
The Recommended section of the Start menu will look exactly like it does now. However, sometimes you will see a recommendation for an app. It’s pretty easy to overlook, especially if you don’t use the Recommended section very often.
There appear to be two floating models. Microsoft’s promotional material shows the design above, where you will see an app with an app icon and a tagline. In the example, the advertised app is 1Password with the tagline “Save passwords securely.” Clicking on it will take you to the Microsoft Store, where you will immediately be taken to 1Password’s store page so you can download it. If you ignore the advertising, it stays there, harmless.
Another design was spotted by Windows Latest. Its screenshots look like the one above, except there’s a little box next to the tagline that says “Sponsored” along with the other details.
With other Start Menu recommendations, users can right-click it and ignore the recommendation. This may also apply to advertisements, but until they are released to the general public, this has not been tested.
How do I disable Start Menu ads?
Microsoft includes a way to remove ads from Windows 11. Here is the easiest method to disable Start Menu ads.
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Open your Start menu.
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Right-click on any empty space and click Start Settings
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Scroll down until you find the View recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.
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Disable this setting.
You can also access this setting by opening Windows Settings and then going to Personalization > Start. Or you can press the Windows key on your keyboard and type Start Settings to find it through search.
Do this while you’re at it
When you install Windows, you will be asked if you want Microsoft to share your “advertising ID” with third parties so that the ads you see are more targeted to you. The idea of sharing personal information with anonymous third parties makes many people reluctant, so many people turn this setting off. Here’s how:
You can also find this setting by opening Windows Search and typing “Advertising ID” to immediately access the setting. Once this box is checked, Microsoft shouldn’t share anything with third-party advertisers, meaning the ads you see won’t be personalized directly for you.