Microsoft could be testing its customers’ tolerance for ads in Windows 11 again, as Windows Insiders have spotted yet another ad in an early version of the operating system currently in testing. This means the feature is still technically in development, with Microsoft monitoring its reception and could decide to roll out the new ads to all users in a future Windows update.
Windows 11 Insider Build 22635.3500, which includes the ad, was released in the beta channel of the Windows Insider program and comes shortly after Microsoft also began testing ads in the Windows 11 Start Menu. The new ad appears in the Settings app and suggests users sign up for Xbox Game Pass.
The update also includes other new features that are likely to be more popular with users, such as a new account manager in the Start menu and the introduction of Gmail support in Windows Share (which allows Windows devices to easily share files and folders with other devices via a network they are part of). However, these new features were overshadowed by the implementation of the ad in Settings.
Microsoft published a Windows Insider Blog post detailing the changes and features that make up the new build, and mentioning the ad, which it calls a “recommendation,” on the Settings home page. It suggests that the Game Pass recommendation card will only be shown to users who are actively playing games on their PC. It also adds that this ad will only appear on the Settings homepage if you are using the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 and are signed in to your Microsoft account on your device.
Microsoft’s continued commitment to ‘recommendations’
This development doesn’t come entirely out of the blue, as Microsoft has been experimenting for a while with where it can get away with sticking ads. In addition to testing ads on the Settings page, it also tries to place ads in the “Recommended” section of the Start menu. Microsoft is really trying to blur the line between what is an advertisement and what it claims are just friendly “recommendations,” with pinned apps that look like advertisements for its other products appearing in a clean install of Windows 11.
Some people say that even if these types of ads appear, they may be acceptable as they often advertise products and services, such as OneDrive, that could improve the Windows 11 user experience. Some users are fine with this, as long as the ads show Microsoft products that can be enhanced with their Windows 11 device.
However, many other people aren’t as keen on the idea, even though the products are from Microsoft, and are especially opposed to ads for third-party apps. It can feel like the space that should be your own personal or digital workspace is being turned into something that resembles a billboard, as Windows Central describes it. For some, it’s especially egregious when third-party app ads appear that may not add anything to the core Windows 11 experience, which feels like a cash grab from Microsoft.
Those who are annoyed by these ads are likely to feel even more hostile because the ads are integrated into key parts of the operating system (OS) that you have to navigate through to control your device, so if you want to use the OS, you don’t have to to do. There is no choice but to see the ads that appear in these key locations. Additionally, the Settings homepage is a rather strange place for an ad for Game Pass – generally speaking, the two aren’t directly connected.
Unfortunately, Microsoft seems determined to follow this strategy, and according to Zac Bowden, editor-in-chief of Windows CentralIf you’re a Windows 11 user and aren’t interested in the steady stream of new AI features or more ads, you’re in for “a terrible next four months.” Many people call the approach downright aggressive, and I can’t disagree. We’re already bombarded with ads almost everywhere we go, and it’s frustrating that our devices, which for many people are necessary for work and play, are increasingly becoming a place we can’t quite escape.