I made Home windows 11 completely ad-free by disabling these settings

If you boot up Windows 11 for the primary time, you are greeted with tons of latest options and customization choices. Whether or not it is the redesigned Begin Menu, Microsoft Copilot, Phone Link, Widgets, or Snap Layouts, to call a number of. Nevertheless, one factor that actually bothers me about Home windows 11 is the variety of adverts and suggestions that Microsoft sneaks into completely different elements of the working system.

Though the adverts are delicate, they’re noticeable and, for my part, closely detract from the Windows experience. In case you simply booted up a laptop that value you a whole bunch of {dollars}, lately upgraded to Home windows 11, or paid $140 for Home windows 11 Residence or $200 for Home windows 11 Professional, the very last thing you in all probability wish to see is adverts being displayed on the working system itself.

Fortuitously, eradicating these adverts is simple, and you do not have to obtain any sketchy software program from the web to do it, as Microsoft means that you can disable all of them by way of numerous choices buried within the Settings menu. Here is how I simply made my Home windows 11 PC ad-free, and the way you are able to do it too.

The primary place I ever seen adverts on Home windows 11 was the Begin Menu, and since I regularly use the Begin Menu to open numerous apps on my PC and seek for information, that is the place I first sought to take away them.

When Home windows 11 first launched, the Begin Menu did not even have this drawback, however again in 2024, with its KB5036980 update, Microsoft determined to start out together with really useful apps from the Microsoft Retailer into the Begin Menu “from a small set of curated builders.”

To eliminate these stealthy app suggestions, you may have to open the Settings menu, which you are able to do by trying to find Settings or by urgent Win + I in your keyboard. Upon getting Settings open, go to Personalization > Begin. Within the checklist of choices beneath Begin, you may see one that claims “Present really useful information in Begin, latest information in File Explorer, and gadgets in Bounce Lists” and an alternative choice that claims “Present suggestions for suggestions, shortcuts, new apps, and extra.” Toggle each of these off, restart your PC, and your Begin Menu will look loads cleaner and ad-free.

Flip off lock display adverts

Home windows Highlight is sweet, but it surely sadly has adverts

If you flip in your PC, you are greeted with the Home windows 11 lock display, which by default makes use of the Home windows Highlight characteristic. I am truly fairly a fan of this, and I like the way it dynamically modifications the lock display picture to completely different elements of the world. It makes the expertise of utilizing Home windows really feel completely different each time you boot up your PC, and also you would possibly even uncover one thing new in regards to the world when you’re doing it.

Nevertheless, not all good issues are excellent, as Microsoft has built-in adverts and suggestions into the Home windows 11 lock display with Home windows Highlight. The one technique to take away them is to, sadly, disable the Home windows Highlight characteristic and choose your personal background picture.

To do that, head to Settings > Personalization > Lock display. From there, you may have to alter the “Personalize your lock display” choice from “Home windows Highlight” to both your personal image or a slideshow. As soon as you have finished that, you may see an choice to toggle off “Get enjoyable details, suggestions, tips, and extra in your lock display,” which is able to successfully make your lock display ad-free.

Clear adverts out of Home windows Search and File Explorer

You should not need to see adverts when organizing information

Microsoft additionally has adverts hiding in Home windows Search and File Explorer, and whereas they’re delicate, they’re nonetheless a nuisance and never one thing I wish to see whereas trying to find and organizing information.

To cover adverts in Home windows Search, open Settings once more and go to Privateness & safety > Search. Within the checklist of choices, you may discover one referred to as “Present search highlights,” which provides “content material ideas” to Home windows Search, which is only a fancy approach of claiming its sharing adverts. Toggle off “Present search highlights,” and your Home windows Search expertise will likely be far more seamless and ad-free.

Transferring on to File Explorer, I have not personally seen adverts or suggestions displayed in mine, however some users have reported encountering them. To take away these adverts, open File Explorer and click on the ellipsis icon (the three dots) close to the highest of the menu, to the best of the Kind and View. From there, within the menu that pops up, click on Choices. A brand new menu referred to as Folder Choices will seem. Swap to the “View tab” in that menu, scroll down, and toggle off the “Present sync supplier notifications” choice. Then click on “Apply” and “OK” to save lots of your modifications.

Even the place the place you flip off adverts has adverts

Sarcastically, Microsoft additionally reveals adverts within the very place you go to show them off: the Settings menu. As soon as once more, these adverts are delicate and sometimes characteristic product suggestions and gives, and you may in all probability see them on the high of various pages within the Settings app.

To stop adverts from exhibiting up in your Home windows Settings menu, open the Settings app and navigate to Privateness & Safety > Suggestions gives. On that web page, you may discover an choice referred to as “Suggestions and gives in Settings” that you’re going to wish to flip off. This may cease adverts or promotions from showing in your Settings menu.

Moreover, in that very same menu (Suggestions & gives), you may disable “Promoting ID,” which blocks third-party apps from exhibiting you personalised adverts primarily based in your Home windows Exercise. Another choice that’s undoubtedly value disabling is “Personalised gives,” which reveals you personalised suggestions, adverts, and suggestions.

Flip off suggestions and ideas from Home windows

In case you’re already skilled with Home windows, its suggestions are pointless

Lastly, apart from Microsoft pushing adverts into the Home windows 11 expertise, it has additionally added many suggestions and ideas. In case you’re new to Home windows 11, these can genuinely be useful, however when you’re an skilled Home windows consumer who simply received a brand new PC or carried out a contemporary set up of Home windows, the flood of suggestions that Microsoft sends can rapidly turn into annoying, identical to the adverts could be.

To cease receiving suggestions and ideas from Home windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications, and scroll all the way down to the underside of the web page the place you may discover “Further Settings.” Click on that, and you may see three completely different choices seem. I like to recommend toggling off “Counsel methods to get essentially the most out of Home windows and ending settings up this gadget” and “Get suggestions and ideas when utilizing Home windows.” I have been utilizing Home windows 11 for years, but sporadically, I nonetheless get a “End organising Home windows 11” pop-up, which could be fairly annoying since I accomplished that course of about two years in the past. Disabling these choices will stop that.

Moreover, there’s one final choice you may disable referred to as “Present the Home windows welcome expertise after updates and when signed in to point out what’s new and prompt.” If you wish to keep knowledgeable in regards to the newest options added to Home windows 11 after an replace, it is in all probability value maintaining this on. Nevertheless, when you do not care or already know what Home windows is including, toggling this off is one other helpful technique to declutter your Home windows expertise.