How to disable ads in Windows 11

It doesn't matter whether you have the $140 Windows Home edition or the $200 Windows Pro edition; you'll see plenty of ads throughout your Windows system. There are ads in File Explorer, and you'll even find them in the Start menu. However, if you're like me and prefer a completely ad-free Windows experience, turn off these settings.

Disable ads in the Start Menu

The Start Menu is probably one of the first things you open whenever you boot up your Windows 11 computer. Unfortunately, Microsoft is also aware of that, and that's why, in April 2024, it released the KB5036980 update, which configures your Windows to display ads in the Start Menu.

In the Start menu, you'll find a Recommended section featuring ads for different apps. The last time I checked, it was showing an ad for a password manager .

Microsoft is probably aware that not every Windows user will appreciate this new addition to the Start menu, which is why there's also an option to remove the Recommended section entirely.

To do this, press Win+i to open the Settings app . Choose "Personalization" from the left sidebar, then select "Start" on the right. Turn off the toggle next to "Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists." After that, restart your system, and you'll see that the Recommended section is gone from the Start menu.

Remove ads from File Explorer

There's plenty of vacant space in Windows File Explorer, and perhaps that's why Microsoft thought it would be the best place to display ads in Windows. The first time Microsoft tested this idea was in 2017, when a large OneDrive banner appeared at the top of File Explorer in Windows 10. However, for some reason, it was later removed from Windows.

Since 2022, when an X user named Florian Beaubois spotted ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer, Microsoft has been constantly pushing ads in its file manager .

If you want a completely ad-free File Explorer experience, you need to change one setting in the Folder Options. To do this, open File Explorer , click the ellipsis icon at the top, and choose "Options" from the menu that appears. Switch to the "View" tab, uncheck the "Show Sync Provider Notifications" box, and then click "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.

Disable tips and suggestions from Windows

In addition to ads, Windows also shows a lot of suggestions and tips to improve your overall experience. While these tips can be helpful for someone who's just getting started with Windows, if you've been using Windows for a while, you might find them as annoying as the ads. That's why it's best to turn them off completely for a clutter-free Windows experience.

To do this, open the Settings app, select "System" from the left sidebar, and click "Notifications" on the right. Under the Notifications From Apps and Other Senders section, click "Additional Settings." Turn off the boxes next to "Get tips and suggestions when using Windows" and "Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device."

After disabling these boxes, you will no longer see occasional pop-ups from Windows asking you to switch to Microsoft Edge, join Microsoft Rewards , or use any other Microsoft services.

Remove ads from the Lock Screen

I've long been an admirer of the Windows Spotlight feature. It dynamically changes lock screen images, ensuring that I'm not looking at the same picture every time. However, there's one major drawback to using the Windows Spotlight feature.

You'll see ads on your Windows lock screen if you have Windows Spotlight set as the display option. These ads often promote different games, and sometimes Microsoft also shows tips on various topics. The only way to remove ads from the lock screen is to configure Windows to show either a picture or a slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight.

To do this, open the Settings app, choose "Personalization" from the left sidebar, and click the "Lock Screen" option on the right. Click the drop-down icon next to "Personalize Your Lock Screen," and then choose either "Picture" or "Slideshow." If you select Picture, make sure to turn off the "Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen" box.

Remove ads from the Settings app

The very place where you've been disabling ads till now ironically shows plenty of them itself. Yes, you guessed it right; I'm talking about the Settings app. You'll often find ads for different Microsoft services appearing at the top of various pages in the Windows Settings app.

To remove ads from the Windows Settings app, open the Settings app, select "Privacy & Security" from the left sidebar, and click "Recommendations & Offers" on the right. Turn off the toggles next to these options: Personalized Offers, Improve Start and Search Results, Recommendations and Offers in Settings, and Advertising ID. Disabling the Advertising ID also ensures that third-party apps don't show personalized ads based on your Windows activity.

Remove personalized ads from the Microsoft Store

When you search for an app on Microsoft Edge, you'll often see recommendations and similar apps in the Microsoft Store. This happens because of the Microsoft Store's personalized experiences setting, which allows the store to monitor your online activity to show relevant ads and app suggestions. Fortunately, you can disable this setting to stop the Microsoft Store from displaying personalized ads and recommendations.

To do this, open the Microsoft Store, tap the profile icon at the top, and choose "Store Settings" from the menu that appears. Turn off the toggle next to "Personalized Experiences." Select "Confirm and Restart Store" from the pop-up window that appears.

Remove ads from Windows search

I always prefer to hide the Windows search from the taskbar. But if you're someone who uses it regularly, you must have noticed that it shows a lot of ads.

Open Windows Search, and on the right panel, you'll see ads for different games, a trending searches section, and a dedicated block highlighting what's special about the current date. If you find these elements taking up too much space in Windows Search, you can completely remove them.

To do this, open Windows Search, click the ellipsis icon at the top, and choose "Search Settings" from the menu that appears. Turn off the toggle next to "Show Search Highlights." Restart your computer , and you will no longer see ads in Windows Search.

Clear the Widgets panel

Although the widget panel doesn't show any ads, it contains a long list of news stories. There are also plenty of other blocks with data related to the stock market and other content that may not be relevant to you. If you find all this distracting, you can either clear the widget feed or disable the widget panel altogether. However, I suggest doing the former, as the widget panel can be quite helpful in various situations.

To get rid of an irrelevant widget feed, click the cog icon at the top-right corner of the widget window and select "Show or Hide Feeds." Then, disable the "Feeds" toggle.

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This was all about how you can completely remove ads from your Windows 11 system. You see, I'm not entirely against ads. Every company is in business to make money, and Microsoft is no exception. However, seeing ads even after spending $140 on an operating system isn't acceptable at all.

I would suggest that Microsoft create a new free version of Windows specifically designed to show ads. On the other paid editions—Windows Home, Windows Pro, Windows Education, and Windows Enterprise—there shouldn't be any ads at all.