Windows 11 users Start Menu will soon have ADVERTS - here's how to turn them off

From Netflix to Amazon Prime, more and more online services are now beginning to fill up with pesky promotions.

But now Windows users won't even be able to open their internet browser before seeing adverts.

Microsoft will soon begin pushing adverts into the Start Menu of Windows 11 with the inclusion of 'recommended' apps. 

On social media, Windows users have been outraged by the decision to include ads in the operating system they have already paid £119.99 ($139) to access.

Luckily, there is an easy way to turn off the pesky adverts with a simple change to your device settings. 

Windows 11 will now include adverts for 'recommended' apps in the Start Menu, luckily there is a simple way to turn these off. This image shows how a promoted ad for 'Opera Browser' is included 

Windows users have voiced their frustrations on social media, complaining that it is 'crazy' to get adverts in an operating system they have already paid for

This change comes as part of update KB5036980 which was released for Windows this week. 

Although the update is currently optional, it will soon roll out to all Windows devices within the coming weeks. 

However, if you choose to install the new update or receive it as it rolls out, the adverts can easily be disabled.

To do this, simply open 'Settings' from the Start Menu and navigate to the 'Personalisation' section.

From here, select 'Start' and toggle the option 'Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more'.

Once this has been turned off adverts in the suggested menu will be permanently disabled.  

Microsoft says the ads are aimed to enable users to find 'some of the great apps that are available'. 

In the notes on the update, the firm writes: 'The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps.

'These apps come from a small set of curated developers.'

But what may confuse some users is that they will appear in a section of the Start Menu that previously showed apps that are already downloaded – either recently added or commonly used. 

Windows 11 will now include adverts for 'recommended' apps in the Start Menu, luckily there is a simple way to turn these off. This image demonstrates how recommended apps are presented

Social media users have said they would be outraged if their operating system began to include adverts 

Other said that the inclusion of adverts was one of the reasons that they 'hate' windows operating systems 

Windows users have already taken to social media to vent their frustrations about the update. 

One commenter on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: 'Paying £130 for an OS [operating system] just to have ads is crazy to me'. 

'I would throw my laptop away if my OS started showing ads to me!' added another. 

While one commenter said that the change was 'reason 1,836,387 why I hate windows'.  

Microsoft claims that the adverts are to help users discover useful apps for Windows 

Some Windows users have claimed the change is a good reason to move to other operating systems like Linux 

In addition to adding adverts, this update also includes a few changes to other Windows features.

Widgets in the task bar and lock screen will receive an update to make them more reliable and allow them to support 'more visuals' – although no more details of what this entails are provide. 

Microsoft started testing this feature just two weeks ago when it told Beta test users it was 'now trying out recommendations to help you discover great apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu.'

At the time Microsoft wrote: 'As a reminder, we regularly try out new experiences and concepts that may never get released with Windows Insiders to get feedback.'

However, whatever feedback Microsoft received in that short time appears to have been sufficient for the company to roll the feature out more widely.

The company has experimented with including adverts in its OS in the past.

Notably, Windows 10 included promotion spots in the lock screen and start menu.

Microsoft also briefly added adverts to the file explorer of Windows 11 before disabling the feature saying that the test was 'not intended to be published externally'. 

Microsoft has been contacted for comment.