Microsoft recently released a new optional preview update for Windows 11, which introduces a new feature. The changes included in this update will be rolled 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, initially being limited to users in the United States. There were hints that the change might be pulled before landing in stable versions of Windows 11.

A slightly modified version of the feature has now landed in the optional update for Windows 11 Stable. Advertised apps now have a “promoted” label to distinguish them from user-installed apps.

An example shows a promotion for the Opera Browser with the promoted label and the description “browse safely.” It remains unclear who adds descriptions to the listings, whether it’s the product owning company or Microsoft.

Aside from this, there don’t appear to be any other significant changes. The Recommended section of the Start menu will now display some Microsoft Store apps, sourced from a small set of curated developers.

This aims to help users discover some of the great apps available, but the feature can be disabled in the Windows 11 Start menu.