A new feature now lets Microsoft push ads and promos in the sign-out flyout menu in Windows 11 that shows up when the Start menu is selected.
According to Bleeping Computer, this ad feature was discovered and shared by Windows enthusiast Albacore on their account, where they shared screenshots of the ad notifications.
Microsoft's Inclination Towards Ads Might Not Be Surprising At All
Companies have utilized advertisements to push their products onto customers, making people see the promotions every now and then everywhere.
For those who have been following Microsoft for a while already, the habit of pushing ads and promos about various Windows features might be familiar.
Neowin recounts that Microsoft has been testing how their ads and promotions will be received in File Explorer and Microsoft Store, and now, they are coming to the Windows 11 Start menu as well.
Twitter user Albacore first started noticing two product offerings for OneDrive and Microsoft on the sign-out menu, but the ads were not as direct and obvious like regular ads.
The promo tells users that they can back up their files with a OneDrive logo, and also suggests that users sign up for a Microsoft Account.
According to MS Power User, the ads did not show up simultaneously as they seem to be a part of a Microsoft feature test that is still unavailable for regular Windows 11 systems.
Neowin writes that this testing feature Microsoft launched can be disabled with the ViveTool should users want to do so.
People Definitely Have Something To Say About The Test Feature
Albacore's tweet gathered an adverse reaction on social media as people are skeptical about Microsoft's decision to display ads and promos in the Start menu.
According to Bleeping Computer, some people on the internet found that the update made Windows 11 worse.
They even claimed that Windows 11 gets worse every time it implements an update in its systems and platforms.
However, other critics said that it was a weird decision for Microsoft to add the ads and promotions feature in the Start menu since the recommendations already take up the menu anyway.
The company is not at all new to criticism about the displayed ads in their systems because only in August, former Microsoft director or user experience Jensen Harris criticized Microsoft for the same thing.
In a series of tweets, Harris criticized the friction users experience when searching for specific information as a large section of the Start menu is already occupied by ads.
This follows the company's choice to display ads for Microsoft 365 Family subscriptions for Office 2022 customers, MS Power User reports.
While Microsoft had been doing this for years, some ad tests encountered unexpected consequences such as the breaking of the Windows Start menu and the Taskbar while testing.
Even users of Microsoft's Gaming subsidiary Xbox had the same compliments about unwanted and unnecessary ads in their suggestions and comments.
Despite the regular criticism, Microsoft seems to be unbothered and the company still continues the presentation of ads in all of their platform's different places.
