New Windows build comes with ads in the Settings app

Microsoft is testing ways to shove yet more ads for its own services into Windows—this time in the Settings app.

Multiple outlets reported that one of the latest Insider Preview test builds of Windows 11 comes with a “Home” tab in the Settings menu, hawking a free Microsoft 365 trial and urging users to sign in with a Microsoft account. A separate prompt under the Accounts tab reiterates requests to log in with Microsoft. News of the new promotional tests was first publicized by Albacore, a Twitter user who explores Windows test builds.

The software giant has long tested ways to inject ads and information about paid or tiered products like Office 365 and OneDrive cloud storage into the OS, ranging from promotional messages in File Explorer and “notifications” in the Start Menu to reminders that users can back up with OneDrive in the sign-out menu. (Recent editions of Windows 11 Home are also set up by default to sync with OneDrive, creating possible file system issues.)

While not all of these efforts have ended up being rolled out to consumers—Microsoft quickly walked back the File Explorer ads as an experiment that never should have been visible in test builds—it’s clear the company is interested in seeing how far it can push the envelope.

Other changes may be more of a headache, such as Microsoft’s recent decision to force people to use its Edge browser while opening links from Outlook and Teams. The Verge reported that while Microsoft 365 Enterprise IT admins will be able to undo that change, Microsoft 365 for business admins will have to roll it back individually on a per-machine basis.

Microsoft didn’t respond to IT Brew’s request for comment on this story.—TM