If you're using Windows 11, soon you'll start seeing ads.

Microsoft has started testing the inclusion of marketing ads within the Start menu in the Windows 11 operating system.

The advertisements for new applications appear as icons at the bottom of the menu, with a bar indicating that they are ads and not pre-installed.

The advertisements will serve as a financial resource for Microsoft, but they have been met with objections and negative reactions from users.

Microsoft recently began testing the inclusion of advertisements within the Start menu in the Windows 11 operating system, representing a significant change in the user interface experience. These promotional policies aim to encourage users to engage with Microsoft services such as Microsoft 365 and use their accounts more actively.

These ad placements, referred to by Microsoft as "Bading," have started appearing for some users in the latest preview releases of Windows 11 as icons at the bottom of the Start menu. The ads encourage actions such as logging into Microsoft accounts, using Microsoft 365 services, and enhancing account security through settings customization. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the company to integrate promotional content directly into the operating system interface, a strategy it has employed in various forms over the past years.

The company rolled out these changes on the "Windows Insider" developer channel. Participants in this program began seeing various prompts encouraging them to use Microsoft products like Microsoft 365 or to log into their Microsoft accounts for additional benefits such as increased security and access to cloud storage. The promotional content typically appears within the pop-up menu for signing out in the Start menu and aims to highlight the ease and benefits of using Microsoft services.

The introduction of these ads has sparked mixed reactions. While Microsoft emphasizes that these promotional offers aim to enhance user experience by highlighting useful features and services, some users may perceive them as somewhat intrusive. Despite the controversy surrounding ad inclusion, the company provides options to completely disable them and has affirmed its commitment to leveraging user feedback in designing a less cluttered digital workspace.

It's worth noting that Microsoft's practices regarding product promotion to users have previously faced user objections, particularly concerning default browser settings for users, where updates would redirect users to Edge browser even if they had previously chosen another one.