Microsoft is again including ads inside Windows 11, this time in the Start Menu. After testing the feature with a “small set of Insiders in the Beta Channel,” update KB5036980 was released on April 23 to include the feature in the public builds of Windows 11. The ads include recommendations for apps in the Microsoft Store. These will show in the Recommended section of the Start Menu, where Windows suggests frequently accessed files or programs. Previously, Microsoft tested ads in File Explorer, in the sign-out menu, and even in the Settings menu. Windows 11 Start Menu is getting ads for recommended apps Image: Microsoft If you don’t see these recommendations on your Start Menu yet, that’s because this is an optional Windows update and has only gone to a small number of machines. It will get pushed to every non-Enterprise version of Windows 11 in the coming weeks. How to turn off Start Menu ads in Windows 11 You’re not alone if you don’t want your Windows 11 Start Menu to show advertising in any form, even for potentially valuable apps. Thankfully, Microsoft has provided a way to turn off these annoyances. Here’s how. Open Settings and go to Personalization > Start. Image: KnowTechie Click on the toggle next to Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more so it shows as Off. That will turn off the Recommended section of the Start Menu, limiting the advertising you’ll see along with the sometimes practical recommendations for recently used apps…Microsoft is once again putting ads in Windows 11