In a move that may cause more than a few raised eyebrows among its user base, Microsoft has quietly ushered in the integration of Start menu advertisements for all Windows 11 users. This development follows a brief trial period initiated at the beginning of the month, where Microsoft tested the waters for embedding ads directly into the Start menu’s Recommended section. Despite a predictable backlash from the community, it appears the tech giant is pushing forward, suggesting the financial upside for Microsoft trumps user dissatisfaction.
This is not the company’s first foray into embedding ads within the Windows 11 interface. Just a few weeks prior, Microsoft experimented by pushing more Start menu ads to users participating in the latest Windows Insider build—an initiative it had also undertaken a year earlier with a similar motive. The advertisements, which are being presented under the guise of app recommendations, are sourced exclusively from a “small set of curated developers” and are featured prominently within the Start menu’s Recommended section.
Rolling out as part of the KB5036980 update, this new feature targets all Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 users. Deemed an optional update, it essentially serves as a preview of the upcoming Patch Tuesday update for May, hinting that a wide-scale rollout is imminent. Microsoft delineates the addition of Start menu ads in its release notes, advocating that the feature is designed to aid users in discovering new apps and games within the Microsoft Store.
The notion of unrequested ads in such an integral component of the Windows OS has historically been met with disdain from the user community. A tweet from PhantomOcean3, highlighting that these app promotions can be toggled off in the Settings, points to a possible loophole for those opposed to the change. Microsoft’s guidance on the matter confirms this: users can disable the ad feature by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Start, and turning off the option for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”
Despite what seems to be an unwelcome change for many, Microsoft is promoting the KB5036980 update for its additional beneficial features. Among these are enhancements to the Recommended section of the Start menu, which now prioritizes the user’s most frequently utilized apps. Furthermore, improvements have been made to the appearance and reliability of Widgets icons on the taskbar as well as on the lock screen, both of which had previously suffered from quality issues.
Microsoft’s strategy with this update reflects its broader ambition to enrich the Microsoft Store’s app ecosystem by encouraging more developer participation. While the company asserts that the advertisement feature could be beneficial for user discovery and can be easily disabled by those who find it intrusive, it’s uncertain how this decision will sit with the larger Windows 11 user community in the long term. The update, while bringing useful enhancements to Windows 11, might not completely offset the frustration among users averse to seeing ads in such a core aspect of their PC’s operating system.
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