Microsoft Launches Start a Personalized News Service

Microsoft Corp on Tuesday rolled out a personalized news feed called Microsoft Start, which will be available both as a website and a mobile app, in addition to being integrated with other Microsoft products, including Windows 10 and 11 and its Microsoft Edge web browser. 

The feed will combine content from news publishers, but in a way that’s tailored to users’ individual interests, the company says — a customization system that could help Microsoft better compete with the news reading experiences offered by rivals like Apple or Google, as well as popular third-party apps like Flipboard or SmartNews.

Start draws from Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and machine learning expertise (as well as human curation) to create a news feed featuring up-to-date info tailored to your interests. It curates news from more than 1,000 publishers around the world.

The more you use Start and indicate what you’re interested in, the closer the feed will hew to the things you prefer to read about. You can tell the app when you see a publisher or story you’re not keen on, or hit the Personalize button to refine the feed whenever you like. Your preferences are linked to your Microsoft account, so the service should offer the same experience on all platforms where you’re logged in.

Start includes information cards for certain key topics, such as weather, traffic, sports, and finance. You can decide which cards you want to pop up for at-a-glance information. Although MSN isn’t going anywhere, Start is replacing Microsoft News. The icon and name for that app will change to Start branding the next time users update it. Those who visit the Microsoft News website will be redirected to the Start home page as well.

The name of the feed might cause a little confusion for Windows users, given the prominence of the Start button in the operating system over the last couple of decades (that menu is getting an overhaul in Windows 11). Still, Microsoft Start looks like a polished experience, and it could be a solid way to keep tabs on the news in which you’re interested.