Microsoft is not done yet: more ads spotted in latest Windows 11 build
When is an ad an advertisement and not a recommendation? Microsoft clearly likes to use the term recommendation for what others may see as an advertisement.
There are recommendations in the Start menu, Settings app, Lock screen, File Explorer, Get Help app, and other areas of the operating system already. These are often not that useful. App recommendations in the Start menu are limited to Microsoft Store apps.
Now, Microsoft is testing recommendations in the Microsoft Store app. If you never use the app, you won't be exposed to these. If you do, you may notice recommendations popping up when you try to use the built-in search.
First spotted by phantomofearth on X, two or three recommendations are shown whenever search is activated in the official Microsoft Store app.
We were able to verify this independently in the latest Windows 11 Insider build. Whether the feature will make it into stable versions of Windows 11 remains to be seen. The chance that it does seems good though.
Recommendations seem to focus mostly on games at this point, with popular games such as Homescapes, Forza Horizon 5, or Sea of Thieves 2024 Edition being recommended to the user. Some are free to play, usually with some form of in-game monetization scheme, others need to be bought before they can be played.
For Microsoft, it is a way to advertise apps and games to the Windows user. It is unclear if Microsoft is receiving compensation for these.
To be fair; compared to Google Play, the main store for Android apps, and Apple's App Store, the Microsoft Store is pretty tame when it comes to ads or sponsored content. It is probably not used as widely as those two stores.
Many Windows users prefer to get their programs from other places and not the Microsoft Store with its rather limited selection of apps and games.
Closing Words
If one thing is certain, it is that Windows users should expect more ads in Windows in the future. Whether Microsoft will change its course eventually remains to be seen. For now, the company seems to be all-in on pushing its services and content in the Windows operating system.
What about you? Do you mind these type of recommendations in the operating systems that you use? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
@ 3 Ply Toilet Paper (and proud!),
I hate to say it, but you’re wrong on all counts. Users who use proprietary software are not morons (like yourself) who are simply sheep who blindly follow their leader (Microsoft). Some of us are simply required to use either Windows or Apple in our daily lives because our government mandates its use.
This is how it is in the Netherlands. The whole country is digital. There are no banks you can walk into to withdraw your cash. Payment for 98% of what’s available takes place digitally either by using your phone, or a debit card. Your salary, pension or welfare payments all take place digitally as well. For that to happen you need to have a bank account. Before you can open a bank account, you need to be registered in the country which takes place, you’ve guessed it, digitally. However, you can’t be registered until you have somewhere to live and that can’t be a hotel. To find somewhere to live, go online and the best of luck with that because there’s a 12 year waiting list unless you rent privately which will cost you a small fortune. In any event, to pay the rent you need a bank account. Similarly, you can’t register until you’ve found somewhere to live and have a BSN (Burger Service Number) with the tax authorities all of which takes place digitally.
All communication between you and both local and national government requires you to be registered (digitally of course) with DigiD. The app will only install on proprietary software. Check it our for yourself on https://www.digid.nl/en
DigiD is also mandatory in order to register yourself with the health care system.
So you see, we are not all morons who choose to blindly follow the great king Microsoft or Apple willy nilliy, but rather because we’re legally obligated to.
Oh, and good luck with the bog roll. Using 3 ply toilet paper is environmentally unfriendly and adds more CO2 to the atmosphere which it heats up the planet. And don’t say you don’t care because there’s no planet B you can wizz off to if this one becomes to hot to survive on. Your ass will be toast baby.
Pretty little App to stop Microsoft-Adds in Windows 11 – OFGB:
https://github.com/xM4ddy/OFGB/releases/tag/v0.4
Always apply Shutup10 Recommended Settings every time you clean install or update windows so you never see the ads or have to deal with shenanigans of Microsoft.
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
I’ll have a Linux.
I keep reading about these ads but I am running 2 windows 11 machines, one running the latest Insider Preview build and another running the latest common build, and I see no ads at all.
Honestly, I reckon most of this is clickbait just to get you guys reading and commenting..
I keep reading about these ads all the time but am running Windows 11 on 2 machines, one running an Insider Preview build and the other running the latest common build, and I see no ads whatsoever.
Honestly, I reckon most of this is clickbait to get you guys reading and commenting.
@Jimbo
Sounds like you have a tech friend who has done you some nice favours without telling you about it. Like my friends who brag to people that they never see ads while browsing the internet and think people who do are either stupid or liars. Or they don’t know how to interweb. My charmingly oblivious friends have no idea uBlock Origin is installed.
Windows 11 on default settings is a privacy and advertising nightmare, on absolutely every computer.
Then again, maybe you just use your web browser and nothing else. You could also be blind.
@Bobo
I am actually a retired PC technician, so I guess I’m my own “tech friend”. :)
Honestly, I have done nothing different or unusual, no secret settings or special software. I just go through the Settings and make sure everything is set up to my preferences. I use the Brave browser with its native “shields” and nothing else.
Just to be clear, I am talking about ads throughout the system, injected by MS. I don’t see any such ads, never have seen any.
@Jimbo
@Bobo
No, for every article written and posted on gHacks about MS advertising popping up in all areas of the OS, I’ve made the same claim: I simply don’t have any advertisements, and I don’t have any special expertise that would enable me to block ads.
So . . .
1. There must be something a few users do, inadvertently, that disables ads.
2. That something must be simple.
3. It is a “something” that occurs during setup.
4. It is a “something” that is so ultra simple, the advanced techie/geeks can’t figure it out.
@VioletMoon
What you are saying is virtual impossibility. Not to see ads or constant popups to fix ad system and prompting you to use MS products on Windows 11 without some form of ad/tracking immunization, you must be just launching Browsers and other none-Microsoft software installed outside Microsoft Store from taskbar and desktop. You’re never going to apps, start menu, settings, Microsoft store, notifications. You never used Edge or Bing. Furthermore, you ignore Copilot, search bar and weather apps on taskbar. Besides that, you have local Microsoft Account and Windows Updates are disabled on your computer from very beginning because of some lucky bug. It’s almost like when you buy a car model that uses gas at 20 miles/gallon for everybody, but for you and a lucky few, the same car performs at 30 miles/gallon under the same conditions. How likely is that?
Hahaha. It’s just like my friend. I installed Adblock Plus first and then upgraded with AdGuard. And when I talked to her recently about YouTube ads, she was like, “I never saw ads on YouTube. Is it recent development?”.
Is it possible that you run an app like OOShutUP10++ or DoNoSpy11 a while ago and forgot about? And maybe somebody added a bunch of tracking hosts’ blocks into your host file? You can immunize your Windows 11 system against most adds and tracking and just forget about it because some updates get blocked, and you do not see new ads.
I am not seeing their ads on Linux :-P
Over time there have been several big push efforts to get Linux to look as much like Windows as possible. It’s nice to think there’s one feature they’ll NEVER bring over.
I agree, it seems like Microsoft is determined to push more ads under the guise of recommendations. It’s frustrating to see these popping up in various parts of the OS, including the Start menu, Settings app, and now even the Microsoft Store app. I understand the need to promote their services, but it feels excessive and intrusive, especially when many users prefer to get their programs from sources other than the Microsoft Store.
Well, technically all ads are recommendations. Maybe not in North Korea though… We should all learn new terms now: Recommendationblockers, recommendationware…. Windows – Recommendation OS.
I recommend linux, reluctantly, since I don’t get paid for doing it.
Advertisements DO NOT BELONG IN AN OPERATING SYSTEM. But, people continue to just take it and take it in the you know where.
Why? Because they know nothing different. They buy their shitty devices with the shitty OS from Microsoft, a convicted monopoly, and use programs designed to keep you LOCKED IN to the prison OS.
Bill Hicks had some strong words for those who work in advertising.
I’m glad I moved to Linux, I don’t need any of this garbage.
@Ann,
> Well the store app is the only place where I want to see adds.
Well you’re a moron for wanting to see advertisements.
> it is the only rightful place for Microsoft to display adds.
Advertisements have NO PLACE in this world. They should be abolished, along with Microsoft, a convicted monopoly. Take your logos, take your slogans, take your deceptive jingles and go fuck yourself.
> But then again I do not consider the store to be part of the OS
Again… MORON!
> And hardly use it anyways.
Still — no justification for accepting them.
@John G.,
> W11 is the worst OS ever done by MS
I disagree. ALL versions of Winblows SUCK for one reason or another. I wonder if you were around for the 95/98 days of constant blue screens. I don’t recall how much telemetry was supposed to be inside 95/98 if much at all, but as I said, ALL suck for different reasons.
Some people, usually those unfamiliar with Linux distributions, with real “free” software, gasped at Winblows XP and then 7, for not crashing all the fucking time and actually having more devices work out of the box. It’s like, “Hello? McFly? YOUR OS SHOULDN’T HAVE THESE PROBLEMS ANYWAY.” But again, it’s all they know.
Then we get the trolls here who worship Microsoft, a convicted monopoly, for their stock prices. These are the same pieces of shit that make a living off of supporting Winblows troubleshooting and malware scanning along with other services to sad people still using Winblows, unaware of any outside free options. They are cut from the same cloth and should be ashamed.
Meanwhile, people who appreciate freedom often work for free to help many Winblows prisoners escape from the Matrix of proprietary dog shit and use Linux.
The only trick which will work with companies like Microsoft, a convicted monopoly, is just to say STOP — NO MORE! Refuse to live under M$’s boots and never use their software, hardware, services, or ANYTHING from them, ANY MORE. If you think it’s not possible because your job or some other bullshit requires it, you’re not looking at the larger picture.
ANYONE who FORCES people to use proprietary software IS A GOON and do not know what it is like to live a life full of love for others, for freedom, for computing. I would never “support” a sad Winblows user(s), NEVER. I switch them to Linux, and they are happy. Substance abuse (in this case, Winblows) and addiction is nothing to laugh at. These people need to be FREED from Winblows and Winblows black box applications.
Your time is coming, M$. It may not be right now but it will be eventually, and all of your illegal dealings and tricks will cease to work. Your customers will be gone.
And then it’s GAME OVER, Microsoft! (a convicted monopoly) GAME OVER. “Git” that through your head.
Wow, here we have the typical Linux user :) It’s not enough that they use Linux, but they must let you know about how they’re morally better than you, not realising that their easily visible derangement is the opposite of advertisement of their OS philosophy.
Have you considered that people want an OS that can do “most things, most of the time”. Because MS has paid employees, they can ensure that this is the case. I am not necessarily going to stick up for Windows 10 or 11 since they’re filled to the brim with garbage, and have truly “fallen off”, but to say that every version windows sucks just goes to show your unreasonableness. A true, found-in-the-wild “hater”, if you will.
And don’t call someone a moron for not considering the MS store a part of the OS, it’s not, as it’s fully removable and the OS functions fine afterwards. At least get your criticisms right?
Personally I think that alternatives should exist, I am glad people are working on them, because MS will not be feasible forever probably. But who’s to blame that your “superior” free product doesn’t have better market penetration? Oh, unless you want to count Android/Playstation/MacOS or whatever, then most people use Linux already and you have nothing to whinge about.
Just keep in mind that if Linux ever “has it’s day” it won’t be because it magically improved by a large factor, it’ll be because of Microsoft’s continued missteps and foot-shooting hobby.
@bruh
I recall a time when it was a big no-no to remove MS Store since that caused the OS to not get updates anymore, has that changed now? Also, all kinds of codecs are available only in MS Store, along with the wonderful and mega-useful arsenal of Windows apps of course.. So I THINK removing it would not be a good idea?
I disagree with your comment: if Linux ever “has it’s day” it won’t be because it magically improved by a large factor
That’s EXACTLY why linux WILL have it’s day, it’s improving massively all the time. Catching up very nicely. When it’s just as user friendly and up to par driver-wise, the only reason for people not to use linux will be Photoshop. Pirated Photoshop. This will also change when some wizard kid manages to port a recent version of Photoshop to linux, I’m sure. Gaming-wise linux is really making some strides. Imagine that. There will be distros with no extra cruft, just the bare minimum to run games, so people can squeeze every little ounce of performance from their hardware for gaming instead of also having to power the underlying spyware/adware garbage.
We WILL see the downfall of Windows in the near future.
@Bobo,
Appreciate the reply, hopefully you also end up reading mine!
The MS Store is removeable or at least highly neuterable to the point that it cannot function in the foreground or background, I personally have not endeavored to do this (hasn’t been a problem for me), but I’ve seen it done, I’ve seen workplaces where it’s not there either, maybe they’re using a different version of Windows 10 or have finely tuned their GPO policies.
There is nothing vital in the MS store, not even codecs. Oh gee, you gave the windows “Films & Movies” app the ability to play apple HEVC video (example), wow what a game-changer… no, just use a better video player to begin with, which comes with it’s own codecs and doesn’t rely on system ones. Sorry my snark isn’t directed at you it’s directed at Windows. There’s even a 3rd party codec (not in the store) to give the Windows Photo Viewer ability to open webp images (people are awesome!).
“along with the wonderful and mega-useful arsenal of Windows apps of course” I sincerely hope this is sarcasm. I work IT support and have about 20 apps pinned to my taskbar, I interact with “UWP” apps probably once or twice a month, and I can tell you what it is, it’s settings, where they’ve fully removed something from the control panel.
“Imagine that. There will be distros with no extra cruft, just the bare minimum to run games, so people can squeeze every little ounce of performance from their hardware for gaming instead of also having to power the underlying spyware/adware garbage.”
A game running natively on a bloated OS might just balance out a game running with an optimised emulation layer on a non-bloated OS, or it might not, I don’t think it’s worth assuming unless tests have been done.
Look, just ask yourself, why are more and more people looking at Linux? There’s only one big reason, people are fed up with Windows. That’s what I mean by Linux becoming a better looking option because Microsoft is failing so hard. Again, maybe I am biased or in a bubble, but looks like Linux is improving at a slower rate than the rate at which Windows is “de-proving”, hope that makes sense. Things like Proton are definitely good of course.
Lmao, what a piece of dogshit
M$/nadella or how to ruin a OS by corporate greed. W11 is now a Spy-and-Adware-as-a-Service bundled with artificial dependencies. Linux seem to be the only alternative.
Other people might like to be told, “we can sell you a racing game in the app store”. I don’t play games and specifically want NOT to see suggestions or advertising. All I want is a vanilla OS that will run the programs I choose.
HOWEVER, I’d rather see distractions removed from roads, including distractions about distractions!
https://i0.wp.com/fleetworld.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DIstraction-DS.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1
There’s so much roadside advertising about, safety and directional signs are missed.
Satya Nadella has transformed the company into something worse than Google.
Now talk about other companies like Mozilla with their ‘privacy preserving’ lies and the optOUT program they are adding in Firefox.
I have never seen any ‘ads’ on windows, so I never know what you and others complain about, I use a firewall, because I am not a dumb person who complains and doesn’t try to find a fix, my firewall allows to block svchost services individually too, so it’s easy to whitelist what I have to whistelist without allowing all svchost.
if not, DNS/hostfile should work and be easier because of domains.
Seems like people are just too dumb to deal with anything in technology, it’s fun to edit registry and remove whatever doesn’t need to be there like Defender, without using stupid 3p tools and all that that can break things because you are not in control.
Taskbar, startmenu, settings and most places don’t need internet access, so block it and stop complaining.
I have just managed to ignore them for the most part. Hardly notice them anymore. I wonder if they are even effective in creating more sales?
Strange, I don’t have ads when I open Software Manager on Linux Mint Cinnamon 21.3. I wonder why.
Not enough eyeballs to justify it, probably.
An ad by any other name is still an ad. Unsolicted advertising should be illegal.
Tell it to telemarketers and robocall “companies”.
On serious note, there should always be a legal option to get something free/low cost with some ads and medium to high cost without any ads. If we know that Windows 11 and on will be high on ads, new Windows versions should be provided for free to OEMs to build much cheaper computers. And also should be an option to buy constantly updated ad free Windows 10 for some yearly fee to pay for security updates and fixing compatibilities with new programs had hardware.
Well the store app is the only place where I want to see adds.
it is the only rightful place for Microsoft to display adds.
But then again I do not consider the store to be part of the OS
And hardly use it anyways.
All other types of “recommendations” should be punishable by law.
W11 is the worst OS ever done by MS, considering it’s half W10 and half telemetry/spyware. W10 is the king actually, and probably it will be the king for a decade more. Thanks for the article! :]
“Do you mind these type of recommendations in the operating systems that you use?”
Yes. I mind very much. So- at this point I still use WIN7 on two computers and I own one WIN10 monster. When they die, or I do, I am through with Windows altogether. It is simply no longer a viable option. Microsoft has finally succeeded in destroying their once-wonderful OS. (Rather like my country is destroying itself.)
Be careful when mentioning W7, you’ll trigger nonsense security pros whos know dipshit about it telling you W7 is dangerous.
It’s 99% user resposibility and 1% the OS itself, nothing prevents W11 users from running virus lmao.
@upp, I’ve been running Windows 7 on the same PC I had built for me when I was 12 back in 2012. It’s had upgrades and tidy-ups since then but the install has stayed the same. I’ve also got a nice E6410 I saved from being recycled (mint condition), and a Viglen DQ45CB with 16Gb of ddr2 ram(!), all on Windows 7.
I go on all the “dodgy” sites (with ublock), I also leave utorrent and soulseek running and seeding stuff 24/7. I ran with firewall turned off on my main PC for about ~1 year because I was coding (poorly) and my stuff kept getting restricted, i was too lazy to set up exceptions. I ran with defender turned off for even longer because a few times it sniped the keygen file from things like Photoshop and iZotope RX8 which was a huge PITA. Still have to turn it off when cracking stuff but that’s life. Don’t use a proper antivirus apart from occasional scans, which only ever return false positives which I already know about.
Just a week ago I had a family member get their card details compromised when they apparently were on a safe government site due to auto-fill (??), they are running latest version of windows 10, latest browser, and don’t do anything dodgy.
So with that anecdotal info, I can conclude it is 99.9% user error and 0.01% the OS, when it comes to safety, it’s all FUD by the misinformed – and can argue about it with anybody.