Getting rid of promoted apps in Windows 11 Start Menu (at least the ones that pop up unintentionally)
Honestly, this was a bit of a pain to figure out. Those promoted apps and ads just showing up in the Start Menu can get super cluttered, and it’s like Windows is constantly pushing stuff you didn’t ask for. I kept digging around, and it turns out there’s a hidden toggle—you just have to find it. The main trick is that it’s buried in the Settings, but the location varies a little depending on your Windows version and build.
If you’re tired of seeing suggested apps or promotional tiles every time you open the Start Menu, start by pressing Windows key + I to open Settings. From there, click on Personalization. Scroll down until you spot Device Usage—this might be labeled differently depending on updates, but mine was right in that area. Inside that menu, you should see a toggle that controls whether promoted apps are shown. Flip that off. For most users, disabling it will stop Windows from pushing those sponsored tiles onto your start menu.
That said, sometimes the toggle isn’t there, or it’s grayed out—on some OEM systems, like my older ASUS, it was buried deeper in Advanced Settings. If it’s not visible here, then you might have to dig into the Registry. The registry path I found most helpful is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager. Within that, look for entries like SubscribedContent-338388Enabled and change the value to 0. Be super careful, though—making bad registry edits can mess things up, so definitely back up that registry before you go changing anything.
And for the record, disabling these promotional ads in the Registry can sometimes cause issues, like losing access to personalized tips or news that Windows might want to show you. So if you like that stuff, maybe just toggle it off so it’s less in your face. But if you want a clean start menu—yeah, it requires some fiddling, and not all options are straightforward.
Turning off the constant tips and suggestions—sometimes they’re basically ads
Next up, the flood of notifications and tips that some people swear are trying to sell you stuff. To cut down on those, go back into Settings with Windows key + I. Hit System and then Notifications. There’s a little extra section at the bottom called Additional Settings—depending on your version, it might show up a little differently.
Inside, you’ll find an option called Get tips and suggestions when using Windows. Disable that. Honestly, even after turning it off, I still saw some tips lingering, especially after a major update—it’s like Windows resets some of these anyway. Under Privacy & Security, there’s also a setting called Show me tips about Windows, which can be turned off, and helps cut down on those subtle nudges. It’s not perfect, but it helps reduce the noise.
Dealing with ads and notifications from third-party apps or bloatware
This part is even more annoying because some apps—like OneDrive or your phone companion apps—keep sending notifications, even if you don’t want them. In the same Notifications menu, scroll down to Notifications from apps and other senders. Honestly, I had to turn off notifications individually for a ton of apps I didn’t care about. And sometimes, you need to go into the app itself and disable notifications there, especially in Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Each app might have its own notification toggle, which is extra tedious but necessary if you want total control.
Some apps even have their own notification settings—check in within the app’s own preferences if available. After all this, I found that periodically revisiting these settings is a good idea, especially after Windows updates—they might reset or re-enable things automatically, which is super frustrating.
Pro tip: I had to mess around with the registry or group policy editor on some systems, because the UI didn’t always stick. If you notice the settings revert, that’s probably why. Also, be aware that disabling certain notifications or ads can sometimes disable useful tips or security prompts, so strike a balance. Still, these tweaks helped clear out a lot of clutter, and makes Windows feel a lot less intrusive overall.
Hope this helped — honestly, it took me way too long to figure out all these little settings. Now I finally have a less annoying, more streamlined desktop. Just double-check everything after Windows updates—settings may reset or change. Anyway, hope this saves someone else a weekend of trial and error!