Microsoft has announced plans to test more ads in Windows 11, confirming a supposed “upgrade” that was first mooted over a year ago.
in a blog post Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495, the company revealed that one of the changes would involve testing ad placement for apps you might enjoy in the Start menu’s “Recommended” panel.
“We’re now testing recommendations to help you discover great Microsoft Store apps under Recommended in the Start menu,” the post explains.
Below is a screenshot of how this might appear: The 1Password password manager appears along with recent files and newly installed apps. There is no indication in the screenshot that this is not already installed and will open a Microsoft Store window.
Perhaps wary of the backlash this could trigger, the post explicitly states that this is something that can be turned off through the Home personalization settings. If you press the button next to “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more,” you shouldn’t see it again.
Microsoft also emphasizes that this is something that is only being tested and welcomes feedback. “As a reminder, we regularly test new experiences and concepts that may never be released with Windows Insiders for feedback,” the post says. “If you see this experience in the Start menu, let us know what you think.”
Microsoft has a history of pushing products under the guise that they are a neutral recommendation to improve the user experience, such as including Microsoft 365 ads in the Start menu and an experimental banner in File Explorer. And while this latest update appears to be for third-party software, it’s still pushing people toward the Microsoft Store, which isn’t how most people get their Windows software, even if the recommendation itself is solid.
While most people accept that ‘recommendations’ or direct ads are the price to pay for free software, Windows still pays (although in reality, free upgrades to Windows 10 and Windows 11 mean that many users have not done so). paid for Windows in more than a decade).
Unless Windows becomes truly freemium, these “recommendations” (whether useful or not) will likely receive little attention from testers who see them. It will be your feedback that will ultimately decide whether these ads are released to everyday users or thrown into the rejection pile.
