Microsoft is working to make the OS “calmer” with fewer upsells and distractions
Microsoft may finally be addressing one of the most frustrating parts of Windows 11: the constant ads and upsells. According to Scott Hanselman, one of the engineering minds leading the charge for the new Windows fixes, the company is now working toward making Windows 11 a more “calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells”, especially in areas like the Start menu and system prompts.
Yes a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal
— Scott Hanselman 🌮 (@shanselman) March 21, 2026
This comes after years of criticism, where users have complained about being nudged toward services like Edge, OneDrive, Microsoft 365, and even Copilot, often in places where they didn’t expect it.
Why is Microsoft reducing ads?
Windows 11 has gradually turned into a platform that not only runs apps, but also promotes them. From Start menu recommendations to setup-time prompts and full-screen nudges, Microsoft has been pushing its own ecosystem pretty aggressively. Even Microsoft insiders have acknowledged the issue. The push for a “calmer” experience is essentially the company admitting that Windows has become a bit too noisy and that it needs fixing.
That said, don’t expect ads to disappear entirely. The goal here seems to be reducing the clutter, not eliminating it.
What exactly could change?
The biggest change here is simple: Windows will try to sell you less stuff. Microsoft is looking to reduce promotions across the Start menu and the OS, while also improving performance, cleaning up the UI, and cutting down on unnecessary prompts to make the overall experience feel smoother and less intrusive.
Speaking of changes, Microsoft is also working on other user-friendly changes, like potentially removing the forced Microsoft account sign-in during setup, bringing back a movable taskbar, optimizing Windows 11 to run better on 8GB RAM to compete with devices like the MacBook Neo, and even rethinking how aggressively Copilot AI is integrated into the OS. Taken together, it looks like Microsoft is finally focusing less on pushing services and more on improving the core experience.
Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…
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