Start Menu Ads Are Officially Here With The Latest Windows 11 Optional Update

The latest preview update for WIndows 11 is here, including Start menu “recommendations” and some updates to Widgets on the desktop and lock screen.

Key Takeaways

Microsoft’s April optional update for Windows 11 introduces recommended apps in the Start menu, meaning you may see occasional ads.
The update includes improvements to widgets, some fixes, and a known issue with profile picture changes.
You can disable app recommendations in the Windows 11 Settings, but you will miss out on some features in this section.

As we near the end of the month, Microsoft is rolling out its April optional update for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, and with it comes the introduction of recommended apps in the Start menu. That’s another way of saying you’ll now see ads for other apps in your Start menu, at least occasionally. The update is a preview of the Patch Tuesday update for May, so these changes will be coming to everyone soon.

Window with light shining through and Windows 11 text

Windows 11: Everything you need to know

Windows 11 is the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft, and it packs a ton of changes. Here’s what you need to know.

New recommended content and widgets improvements

Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop with the Start menu, Microsoft Edge, and Windows Update open

Recommended apps aren’t the only change coming to the Recommended section of the Start menu, though. This update also makes it so that you’ll now see your frequently used apps (that aren’t already pinned to the Start menu) in this section, so you can get access to important apps more quickly. That’s actually a positive change, and something you could do on Windows 10.

Either way, these recommendations can be disabled by going into the Windows 11 Settings app, so you can avoid them. However, app recommendations are tied to other content in this section, so you’ll miss out on some features by turning it off.

Meanwhile, the update also brings improvements to widgets, both on the desktop and on the lock screen. On the desktop, Microsoft is fixing some blurry icons you may have seen for widgets on the taskbar, plus there are some new animated icons for certain widgets, so things look a little more lively. For the recently-added lock screen widgets, this update should make them “more reliable”, feature new visuals, and offer a more customized experience for each user.

Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop and Start menu with recommended content disabled

How to turn off Start menu recommended content in Windows 11

The Windows 11 Start menu has a new section for recommended content, but it may not be useful for everyone. Here’s how you can turn it off.

One known issue and multiple fixes

It’s uncommon that Windows 11 builds these days come with known issues, but if you plan to install this update, there is a potential problem here. According to the official changelog, you may be unable to change your profile picture after installing this update, which Microsoft says it’s working on fixing in a future update. More than likely, this problem will be fixed when Patch Tuesday lands in May.

Otherwise, this update includes a lot of fixes, which we’ll list below if you’re interested in diving into the details.

This update adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy called “AllowScreenRecorder.” It affects the Snipping Tool. IT admins can use this policy to turn off screen recording in the app.
This update adds support for Arm64 .msi files using a Group Policy Object (GPO). You can now use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to add Arm64 .msi files. You can also use a GPO to install these files on Arm64 machines.
This update addresses an issue that affects the netstat -c command. It fails to perform effective port exhaustion troubleshooting.
This update addresses an issue that affects a low latency network. The speed of data on the network degrades significantly. This occurs when you turn on timestamps for a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection.
This update addresses a race condition that might stop a machine from starting up. This occurs when you set up a bootloader to start up multiple OSes.
This update addresses an issue that affects an accelerator backing store management path. A memory leak occurs that affects some devices.
This update affects media allocations. It improves their memory granularity for some hardware setups. This lowers overcommitment. Also, performance is more efficient.
This update affects Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). Intermittent name resolution fails in a split DNS setup.
This update addresses an issue that affects universal printers. The system creates duplicate print queues for them.
This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for some mobile operators.
This update addresses an issue that affects the container networking Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). It returns the wrong Virtual Subnet ID (VSID) for external ports.
This update addresses a memory allocation issue in the Host Networking Service (HNS). The issue causes high memory consumption. It also affects service and pod deployment and scaling.
This update addresses an issue that occurs when you elevate from a normal user to an Administrator to run an application. When you use a PIN to sign in, the app will not run.
This update affects hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI). It accepts drivers that are now compatible.
This update includes quarterly changes to the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file, DriverSiPolicy.p7b . It adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
This update addresses an issue that affects Protected Process Light (PPL) protections. You can bypass them.
This update addresses an issue that affects Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) hardware offload. A stop error occurs on PCs that support it.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC). A memory leak occurs when it retrieves mappings.
This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS). Its Post Authentication Actions (PAA) do not occur at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occur at restart.
This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A high load might make the system unresponsive. Also, signing in might be slow.

How to download the update

Since this is an optional update, it won’t install automatically on your PC, but if you want it right away, you can simply go to your Settings and head to the Windows Update section. The update should be listed there with an install button if you want to get it now. Otherwise, you can also download the update manually here.

If you’re fine with waiting, though, the changes in this update (along with others) will be included in the next mandatory update on Patch Tuesday, which will happen on May 14th.