Windows 11 Start Menu Ads: How to Disable Them

Microsoft is introducing ads to the Start menu in its latest Windows 11 update. These ads are displayed as part of the “Recommended” section and are intended to promote Microsoft Store apps. While some users may find these ads helpful for discovering new apps, others may find them intrusive. Fortunately, there is an easy way to disable them.

Microsoft Adds Advertisements to Windows 11 Start Menu

Just two weeks after rolling out a preview build to Windows Insiders, Microsoft is pushing out an update to Windows 11 that adds advertisements to the Start menu. Build KB5036980, which is now slowly rolling out to the wider Windows 11 user base, includes recommendations in the Start menu, and they sneakily sit beside your real apps. These apps come exclusively from the Microsoft store, and they sit in the Recommended section of the Start menu. This section includes recently used, frequent, and new apps, but one (or more) slots will now be dedicated to an ad.

Scroll to Top