You may see ads everywhere online, but ads in operating systems are less common -- though not as rare as they used to be. Recently, Windows 11 Pro and Home users have reported seeing ads in the operating system's Start menu, with ads for "recommended" apps and websites appearing below the list of installed apps.
This is not a surprising move, because Microsoft has already pushed ads on the lock screen of Windows 11. If you are not an Office 365 user, you will see a huge ad when you open the Settings app. Microsoft is even pushing ads for Bing in Google Chrome.
So far, the Start Menu changes appear to be only coming to the latest preview build for Windows 11 Insiders. So if user reaction to Windows 11 is negative (and strong) enough, there's a chance it won't appear in the consumer version of Windows 11.
According to images shared in Windows Central and other reports, apps like 1Password appear with ads and accompanying instructions. These ads appear in the Start menu provided by Microsoft along with other recommended applications and files.
How to turn off Start Menu ads in Windows 11
Luckily, if Microsoft ends up keeping these ads, it seems you'll have the option to turn them off, as Windows Insiders also discovered a new option under Settings > Personalization > Start that allows you to toggle off the display Recommendations for tips, app promotions, etc."
It's just one of Microsoft's latest attempts to include advertising in its operating system, a change that many have resisted for years. Windows is not a cheap operating system, and adding ads to an operating system that you paid a lot of money for is not a good thing. And just because you can turn off ads now doesn't mean you can turn them off later.
