What do Xbox Wireless Controllers, Microsoft Defender, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Bing AI have in common? They have all been promoted by Microsoft on Windows 11 throughout the last year.
What if I told you there’s an easy method to turn off these ads on Windows 11? It only takes a minute, and you’ll be good to go.
Follow these steps:
- Open the Start menu and navigate to Settings. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Windows-I for quicker access.
- Go to System > Notifications.
- Scroll down and expand the “Additional settings” section.
- Uncheck the box for “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows”.
- Optional: Uncheck “Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested”.
- Optional: Uncheck “Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device”.
- Restart your computer.
This process will stop ads from appearing as suggestions or notifications on Windows 11.
Keep in mind that this method does not eliminate all advertisements that Microsoft may have displayed or will display in the future. You might still see ads on the lock screen, within the Microsoft Store, on the Settings page, in File Explorer, and in several other locations.
If you’re looking to further reduce advertisements, consider using a tool like Winaero Tweaker. It’s free and effectively tackles many of them. Here’s how to set it up for this purpose.
Utilizing Winaero Tweaker to remove ads on Windows 11 (and 10)
Winaero Tweaker is a complimentary tool that permits users to adjust a variety of settings on Windows 10 and 11 systems. Start by downloading the latest version from the official website.
You can choose to install the application or use the installer to extract files for a portable version. Launch the app once the process is completed.
- Scroll down the sidebar until you arrive at the Behavior section.
- Select Ads and Unwanted Apps.
- You will find over ten options here to disable various ads and experiences in Windows.
- Ensure that “Disable ads in Windows” remains checked.
- Uncheck all other options on the page, as they might not be particularly beneficial.
- Restart your computer.
After restarting, you should experience very few ads, if any at all. Although Microsoft may introduce ads in new locations, it generally doesn’t take long for them to be blocked using tweaking tools or manual modifications.
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