Microsoft Could Show Ads In Start Menu On Windows 11

Microsoft released the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495 (KB5037000) to the Beta Channel on Friday.

One of the highlights of the latest Insider build is that the company could test running ads inside the Start menu on Windows 11 for Beta users within the US.

Microsoft Could Show Ads In Start Menu On Windows 11

According to Microsoft, the “Recommended” section of the Start menu may soon display file recommendations to Beta users who have installed the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview build, suggesting great apps from the Microsoft Store.

In other words, the promoted app recommendations section will now appear on the Windows Start menu for apps that are not installed on the user’s Windows 11 PC.

Currently, Microsoft shows “Pinned” apps above a series of “Recommendations” in the Start menu. These recommendations contain shortcuts to apps that are not installed on the user’s system.

“Building on top of recent improvements like grouping recently installed apps and showing your frequently used apps, we are now trying out recommendations to help you discover great apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu,” says Microsoft in a blog post.

“This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the US and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations).”

Thankfully, the app promotions can be turned off by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and turning off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”

Like any other experiment, Microsoft is rolling out this new feature to a limited number of Insiders in the Beta Channel. Based on user feedback, the company may decide whether to use pervasive ads in future public releases of the operating system or remove the feature altogether.