Microsoft recently released a new optional preview update for Windows 11, introducing a feature that will roll out to all Windows 11 devices as part of the May 2024 cumulative security update. The testing and rollout of the update occurred at a record pace and were initially limited to Windows 11 users in the United States.

Concerns were raised about the possibility of the change being pulled before it reached stable versions of Windows 11. A modified version of the feature has now been included in the optional update for Windows 11 Stable, featuring a “promoted” label for advertised apps to distinguish them from user-installed apps.

For example, a screenshot shows a promotion for the Opera Browser, labeled as promoted with the description “browse safely.” It is unclear whether the descriptions for these listings are added by the company that owns the product or by Microsoft.

Aside from these changes, there appear to be no other significant alterations. The Recommended section of the Start menu will showcase some Microsoft Store apps from a small set of curated developers, aiming to help users discover high-quality apps.

However, it is also possible to disable this feature in the Windows 11 Start menu.