Yes—Microsoft has tested promotional recommendations in the Windows 11 Start menu. The documented April 2024 test showed Microsoft Store app recommendations to Windows Insiders in the U.S. Beta Channel. Microsoft called them “recommendations,” while the related setting refers to “app promotions.” Separate Windows features can also promote Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Microsoft accounts and third-party services.
What Microsoft actually tested
In its April 12, 2024 Windows Insider announcement, Microsoft said it was “trying out recommendations to help you discover great apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu.” In practical terms, these entries can look like ads because they promote apps rather than displaying files or apps already installed on your PC.
- Audience: Windows Insiders in the U.S. Beta Channel.
- Placement: The Recommended area of the Start menu.
- Content: Recommendations for apps from the Microsoft Store.
- Exclusion: Commercial devices managed by organizations were excluded from that test.
Microsoft’s wording matters: the company described the feature as recommendations, but the Start setting explicitly includes “app promotions.” Calling the experiment promotional recommendations or Start-menu app ads accurately describes the user experience without implying that every Recommended item is paid advertising.
Why Microsoft 365 and account prompts appear in Windows 11
Personalized offers
Windows 11’s Personalized offers can include ads and recommendations for Microsoft and third-party products and services. Microsoft says that, when the relevant personalization is enabled, offers may be based on Windows and device diagnostic data plus account information, Bing and Microsoft 365 activity, Xbox activity, Microsoft website interactions, subscription and purchase history, and related signals.
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These offers are broader than the 2024 Store-app experiment. They can promote a Microsoft service, suggest an account action or show a third-party product, depending on the device, account and configuration.
Start account-tile notifications
Windows can also display notifications from the Start user tile for Microsoft account and local-user actions. Microsoft’s Notifications Policy CSP lists prompts to reauthenticate, back up a device, manage cloud-storage quotas and “manage their Microsoft 365 or XBOX subscription.” That is an account or subscription prompt, not the same mechanism as a Store app recommendation.
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Microsoft 365 pinned on managed PCs
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Where the different promotional surfaces appear
| Surface | Typical content | Audience or context | Available control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start menu, Recommended area | Microsoft Store app recommendations or promotions | U.S. Beta Channel Insiders in the documented 2024 test; commercial managed devices were excluded | Settings > Personalization > Start > “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more” |
| Start user/account tile | Account, backup, cloud-storage and Microsoft 365 or Xbox subscription prompts | Windows account and local-user experiences; administrators can manage policy | Windows notification controls and administrator policy settings |
| Taskbar | Microsoft 365 app pin | New PCs or new users on specified managed commercial Windows 11 editions, according to Microsoft’s August 2024 announcement | Organization-managed taskbar and Windows policies |
| Settings, Recommendations & offers | Microsoft and third-party ads or recommendations | Windows 11 users with Personalized offers enabled | Settings > Privacy & security > Recommendations & offers |
How to reduce or remove these prompts
Turn off Start-menu recommendations
- Open Settings.
- Go to Personalization > Start.
- Turn off Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.
This setting addresses the Start Recommended-area recommendations covered by Microsoft’s Insider test. Windows labels and available switches can vary by Windows 11 release, so install the latest updates if the wording differs.
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Disable personalized offers
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy & security.
- Open Recommendations & offers.
- Disable the options that allow personalized recommendations or offers.
This reduces personalization for Microsoft and third-party offers. It does not necessarily remove every account, security or service notification that Windows considers operationally important.
For organization-managed devices
Administrators can use Windows policy controls for Start user-tile notifications and related notification behavior. The Microsoft Learn Notifications Policy CSP documents controls for prompts such as reauthentication, backup, storage quotas and Microsoft 365 or Xbox subscription management. If a work PC is managed, a user may not be able to change these settings locally; contact the organization’s IT administrator.
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Who saw the Start-menu ad test?
The specific April 2024 experiment was limited to U.S. Windows Insiders on the Beta Channel. Microsoft explicitly said it would not apply to commercial devices managed by organizations. That does not mean all consumer PCs received the test, nor that every Windows 11 user sees the same recommendations. Insider features are experiments and can change, expand or be withdrawn before a broad release.
Why Microsoft is interested in Start as an advertising placement
Microsoft Advertising said in 2025 that it was bringing App campaigns to the Windows Start menu and the Microsoft Store. Microsoft described the Start menu as being used by more than 1 billion people worldwide. The statement referred to a pilot with select clients, showing why Start is valuable for app promotion even when a particular recommendation is presented as a Windows feature rather than a conventional banner ad.
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For Personalized offers, Microsoft says the possible inputs include device and Windows diagnostic data, account information, Bing, Microsoft 365 and Xbox activity, Microsoft website interactions, subscription and purchase history, and related signals. The documented material does not establish that every recommendation uses every signal, or that the 2024 Beta Channel app test used the full set of Personalized-offer data. Treat those as separate mechanisms unless Microsoft identifies them as connected for a specific Windows release.
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How to tell which prompt you are seeing
- App tile under Recommended: likely a Store-app recommendation or promotion controlled from Personalization > Start.
- Message attached to your profile icon or account area: likely a Start user-tile notification about sign-in, backup, storage or a subscription.
- Microsoft 365 icon appearing on the taskbar after setup: potentially the managed-device pin described by Microsoft for specified editions and scenarios.
- Offer shown in Windows privacy or setup experiences: check Recommendations & offers and its Personalized-offer controls.
These surfaces can coexist, so turning off one switch may not remove a different type of prompt.
The Bottom Line
Windows 11 has tested Start-menu app promotions, and Microsoft separately uses Windows account, Settings and taskbar surfaces to promote Microsoft 365 and other services. The clearest controls are Personalization > Start for Recommended-area promotions and Privacy & security > Recommendations & offers for personalized offers; organization-managed PCs may require administrator policy changes.
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