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Customization

Turn Off Tips, Ads and Suggested Content

Windows shows tips, suggested apps and promotional cards in several places. Each one has its own switch, and some only appear after an update.

by@guidox updated:10/31/26 time:10 min level:Beginner tested on:Windows 11 24H2 works on:Windows 10, Windows 11 tools:Windows 11
TL;DR

Turn off **suggestions** on the notification, Start and lock screen pages, then disable the **advertising ID** and the **suggested content** in the Settings app.

Before you start

Requirements

  • Windows 11
  • Ten minutes
Step by step

Instructions

01

Start with notifications

The notification page has separate switches for tips, suggestions and the welcome experience after updates. All three produce the same kind of card.

Settings > System > Notifications
02

Clean the Start menu

The Start page offers recommendations for apps and recent files. Both can be turned off, and the layout section decides how many rows appear.

Settings > Personalization > Start
tipTurning off recommendations also removes the occasional app promotion that appears in that area.
03

Stop the lock screen tips

The lock screen rotates tips and sometimes a promotion for a Microsoft service. The switch is on the personalisation page next to the background picker.

Settings > Personalization > Lock screen
04

Disable the advertising ID

Apps can use a per-user identifier to personalise what they show. Turning it off does not remove ads, it removes the personalisation.

Settings > Privacy & security > General
05

Check the search page

Search highlights put a daily card into the search box. The switch sits on the search permissions page, not in the search settings themselves.

Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions
⚠ warningA feature update can turn some of these back on. Recheck after each big update rather than assuming it stuck.
06

Keep the ones you use

Some suggestions are genuinely useful, like app recommendations in Settings. Turning everything off is a choice, not a requirement.

Troubleshooting

Common issues

Cards still appear

A different surface, usually the search box or the widgets board. Check each page.

Options come back after an update

A feature update reset them. Repeat the steps.

An option is missing

Region or edition. Some markets do not receive those cards at all.

Widgets still show news

That is a separate feature. Turn off the widgets board in the taskbar settings.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Does this remove ads from apps?

No. It removes Windows' own suggestions and personalisation.

Does it affect updates?

No. Update settings and notifications from Windows Update are separate.

How to undo this

Switch the same toggles back on. Every option in this guide is a per-user setting with no other effect.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-31
    First version
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