Key Takeaways
- Microsoft recently started showing full-screen Windows 11 upgrade ads to Windows 10 users, raising eyebrows.
- Now, a new Windows 10 Insider update has started pushing notifications to ditch local accounts in favor of a Microsoft Account.
- The Redmond tech firm has emphasized the benefits of a Microsoft account, such as content synchronization.
About a week ago, we learned that Microsoft has begun to show full-screen ads in Windows 10, urging customers to upgrade to Windows 11 even though there is still more than a year to go before the former runs out of support. This move drew a lot of attention considering the company had come under fire in the same week for the slow performance of the Start menu, which had also begun showing advertisements for apps. However, it seems like the Redmond tech firm is not done notifying users about how they can improve their Windows experience, as can be determined from a recent Windows 10 Insider update.
As spotted by NeowinWindows 10 Release Preview build 19045.4353 started rolling out just a couple of days ago and while its change log isn’t particularly exciting, one change may raise some eyebrows. Microsoft has noted that this build will show you notifications that urge you to ditch local accounts in favor of a Microsoft account:
This update starts the rollout of account-related notifications for Microsoft accounts in Settings> Home. A Microsoft account connects Windows to your Microsoft apps. The account also backs up all your data and helps you to manage your subscriptions. You can also add extra security steps to keep you from being locked out of your account. This feature displays notifications across the Start menu and Settings.
The notification in the Settings menu features the text: “Sign in to your Microsoft account: You’ll be able to back up your files and photos to keep them more secure.” There’s a corresponding sign-in button too, and while there is an option to dismiss the notification, there’s no knowing how frequently it will show up.
What’s the deal, Microsoft?
A restore screen in Windows 11 after the user has signed in with their Microsoft account
With Windows 10 and Windows 11, Microsoft historically hasn’t been a fan of local accounts. The company touts various advantages of setting up your operating system through a Microsoft account, such as synchronization of content across various machines and access to Copilot. However, many customers attempt to bypass this requirement due to privacy and security concerns.
That said, it’s clear that the Redmond tech firm will be more insistent when it comes to enforcing Microsoft accounts in the near future, so it’ll be interesting to see if there is increased backlash against the company on the topic.