Ads Start Showing Up for All Windows 11 Users, Here’s How to Disable Them

Microsoft has released an optional April update for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, which introduces recommended apps to the Start menu. This means that you will now see ads for other apps in the Start menu. The update is a preview of the May Patch Tuesday update (an unofficial phrase used to describe when companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle, and others frequently release software fixes for their software products), so these changes will soon be available to everyone.

However, the Recommended section of the Start menu is getting more than recommended apps. To help you quickly access important apps, this update now adds the ability to display your most frequently used apps in this section (if they’re not already pinned to the Start menu). You can change that with Windows 10, which is a good thing. In any case, you can ignore these suggestions by disabling them in the Windows 11 Settings app. However, turning off app recommendations will prevent you from accessing certain features, as they are linked to other information in this section.

Improvements to widgets on the desktop and lock screen are also included in this update. Microsoft is addressing some of the confusing icons you may have noticed for taskbar widgets on the desktop. Additionally, some new animated icons have been added for certain widgets, livening up the interface a bit. This update will make the newly added lock screen widgets “more reliable”, provide new images and provide a more personalized experience for each user.

These days, known bugs in Windows 11 releases are rare, but if you intend to apply this upgrade, there may be a problem. According to XDA Developers, the official changelog indicates that after installing this update, you will not be able to change your profile image. Microsoft claims this is something that will be fixed in a later update, reports add. When Patch Tuesday arrives in May, this issue will most likely be resolved.

This update is optional, so your computer will not install it automatically. However, if you want to install it immediately, just go to Settings and select the Windows Update area. If you want to get the update now, it should be posted there with an install button.