Microsoft is notorious for marketing its many services through its own products; we’ve seen how it persuaded users to use its Edge browser, and it appears that similar style of self-promotion is now being applied to File Explorer. Microsoft is reportedly displaying advertisements in File Explorer on Windows 11 to promote its products.
Is Microsoft displaying advertisements in File Explorer?
A screenshot of a Microsoft Editor advertisement in Windows 11 File Explorer was posted by a Windows Insider user (Florian on Twitter). The ad appears in the Documents folder and appears to have started appearing in the most current Windows 11 Insider Build 22572, which was recently issued to the Dev Channel.
While the presence of advertisements in any of the Windows products is concerning, you should be aware that these appear to be directed to the appropriate locations. For example, the Microsoft Editor, a grammar checker similar to the popular Grammarly, showed up in the Documents folder, which is a place where it could be useful.
However, Microsoft’s proclivity to force consumers to use its apps and services is undeniable, and it is something the company needs to address.
It’s also possible that Microsoft Office customers are seeing advertisements for Powerpoint templates. For those unfamiliar, Microsoft displays pop-ups in the Mail app in an attempt to get people to download Outlook on their smartphones.
Many of its mobile apps are also promoted in Office and other services. Not to mention how it encourages people to use its Edge browser instead of Google Chrome.
With that stated, you should be aware that ad appearances in File Explorer are now limited to Insider users and do not appear to be common. As a result, there’s a chance it won’t affect the vast majority of users, particularly the general public. However, we still hope that this ad system takes a backseat and that Microsoft retains the File Explorer’s purity in Windows 11. How do you feel about this strategy? Please let us know in the comments section below.
