Windows Spotlight feature Archives

Winsage

March 3, 2025

How to lower pop-ups, ads and ‘suggestions’ on your Windows 11 computer

Many users of Windows 11 have observed an increase in promotional content within the operating system, often presented as helpful suggestions. Microsoft has been enhancing the visibility of ads across various features. Users can make several adjustments to reduce this promotional clutter: 1. Start Menu Suggestions: To disable app recommendations in the Start Menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle off "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more." 2. Lock Screen Ads: To turn off ads on the lock screen, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, change "Personalize your lock screen" from Windows Spotlight to Picture or Slideshow, and disable "Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen." 3. File Explorer Promotions: To eliminate promotions in File Explorer, open File Explorer, click the three dots in the menu bar, select Options, go to the View tab, and uncheck "Show sync provider notifications." 4. Taskbar Search: To adjust ads in Taskbar search, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions and disable "Show search highlights." 5. Notification Ads: To turn off ads presented as tips, go to Settings > System > Notifications and uncheck "Show the Windows welcome experience ..." and "Get tips and suggestions ..." 6. Microsoft Account Prompts: To prevent prompts to sign in with a Microsoft account, go to Settings > Accounts > Your Info and select "Sign in with a local account instead." 7. Notifications from Other Apps: Users can review and disable unnecessary app notifications in Settings > System > Notifications.

Winsage

March 1, 2025

Windows 11 annoying you? How to quiet ads and more

Users of Windows 11 have reported an increase in promotional content within the operating system. To reduce these distractions, several adjustments can be made: 1. Start Menu Suggestions: To disable app recommendations in the Start menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle off "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more." 2. Lock Screen Ads: To eliminate ads from the lock screen, open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, switch from Windows Spotlight to Picture or Slideshow, and turn off "Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen." 3. File Explorer Promotions: To turn off promotions in File Explorer, open File Explorer, click on the three dots in the menu bar, select Options, go to the View tab, and uncheck "Show sync provider notifications." 4. Taskbar Search Ads: To disable ads in Taskbar Search, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions and disable "Show search highlights." 5. Notifications for Tips: To stop receiving tips that are advertisements, go to Settings > System > Notifications and uncheck "Show the Windows welcome experience…" and "Get tips and suggestions…" 6. Microsoft Account Prompts: To stop prompts to sign in with a Microsoft account, navigate to Settings > Accounts > Your Info and select "Sign in with a local account instead." 7. Other App Notifications: To manage notifications from other applications, review the list in Settings > System > Notifications and disable unnecessary ones.

Winsage

March 1, 2025

Data Doctors: How to quiet ads and suggestions in Windows 11

Users have reported an increase in promotional content in Windows 11, which many find intrusive. To minimize this, users can adjust settings in several areas: 1. Start Menu Suggestions: Disable app recommendations by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggling off "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions and more." 2. Lock Screen Ads: Turn off lock screen ads by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, changing the setting from Windows Spotlight to "Picture" or "Slideshow," and disabling "Get fun facts, tips, tricks and more on your lock screen." 3. File Explorer Promotions: Remove promotions for OneDrive and Microsoft 365 by opening File Explorer, selecting the three dots in the menu bar, going to Options > View, and unchecking "Show sync provider notifications." 4. Taskbar Search: Eliminate ads from taskbar search by going to Settings > Privacy and security > Search permissions and disabling "Show search highlights." 5. Notification Ads: Turn off tips that are advertisements by navigating to Settings > System > Notifications and unchecking "Show the Windows welcome experience" and "Get tips and suggestions." 6. Microsoft Account Prompts: Prevent prompts to sign in with a Microsoft account by going to Settings > Accounts > Your Info and selecting "Sign in with a local account instead." 7. Notifications from Other Apps: Review and disable unnecessary notifications from other applications in the system notifications section of settings.

Winsage

October 7, 2024

How to Remove “Learn About This Picture” Icon in Windows 11

Microsoft has released the stable build of Windows 11 24H2, which includes new AI features and reintroduces the "Learn About This Picture" icon on the desktop. Users can remove this icon by using the Registry Editor or by changing their wallpaper to one from their personal collection. To remove the icon via the Registry Editor, users need to navigate to a specific path, find the corresponding value, change it to 0, and refresh the desktop.

Winsage

June 19, 2024

Microsoft simplifies file sharing between Windows PCs and Android phones

Users can pair their Android phone with their Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and the Phone Link app on Windows to enable quick and easy file transfer.

Winsage

June 17, 2024

Microsoft enhances ‘file sharing’ between Windows PC and Android

Microsoft has introduced a new feature in the Windows Insider Preview that allows users to easily share files from a Windows PC to an Android phone. This feature requires pairing the devices using the Link to Windows app on Android and the Phone Link app on the PC. It is currently available in the Beta Channel with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785.