It used to be that you paid for the retail version of Windows 11 and expected it to be ad-free, but those days appear to be over. com.finito. Latest update for Windows 11 (KB5036980) will be released this week and includes ads for apps in the Recommended section of the Start menu, one of the most used parts of the operating system.
“The Recommended section in the Start menu will display some Microsoft Store apps,” according to the release notes. “These apps come from a small, curated group of developers.”
App suggestions are enabled by default, but you can get your original Windows experience back if you install the update, fortunately. To do this, go to Settings, select Personalization > Start, and toggle Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more to Off.
The new “feature” arrives just weeks after appearing as an Insider beta, showing how quickly Microsoft can get things done when it wants to. It certainly wasn't enough time to receive the user feedback that the Insider program was designed for.
The update is bound to rub customers the wrong way, considering that Windows 11 starts at $139 for the Home edition. Although removing it is not a huge hassle, it may also remind people of the unnecessary time they spent removing bloatware from OEM Windows installations. Microsoft previously tested ads in Windows 11 File Explorer, but ended the trial shortly after.
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