Do you get to see notifications for Microsoft Defender or other applications in Windows 11? Microsoft shows ads via notifications. Fortunately, there is a way to turn them off.
Microsoft is not shying away from turning Windows into a billboard. Windows 10 users today are shown full-screen ads to buy a new PC. In Windows 11, Microsoft’s approach is more subtle, but no less disturbing. Windows Latest noted that Microsoft shows advertising through the notification window.
Among other things, Microsoft uses Windows notifications to advertise the Defender app, even though it is installed on your PC by default. The notification contains a link to a Defender Web page in your Microsoft 365 account. Defender is basically included for free in your subscription, so the ad primarily serves to tout Microsoft 365.
But Microsoft is equally likely to show ads for games in the notification. Microsoft says in a statement to Windows Latest that with this method of advertising it wants to offer Windows users “choice to discover new products and services. That such marketing tricks mostly backfire, Microsoft seems unwilling to recognize.
Turning off notifications in Windows
You can click the notification away, but that doesn’t mean it can’t return. Fortunately, there is way to turn off notifications completely in Windows. To do this, go into the settings to the menu Notifications. Make sure the two options under Additional Settings are turned off.
If you want to be completely rid of notifications, turn them off for all applications by checking the option Receive notifications from apps and other senders. You can also set per app whether you want to get notifications from it or not.