Microsoft released a new optional preview update for Windows 11 this week, introducing a feature that will be included in the May 2024 cumulative security update for all Windows 11 devices. The testing and rollout of these changes happened at a fast pace, initially limited to users in the United States. There was speculation about the possibility of the change being withdrawn before reaching stable versions of Windows 11.

A modified version of the feature has been included in the optional update for Windows 11 Stable, with advertised apps now featuring a “promoted” label to distinguish them from user-installed apps. A screenshot shows an example of this with the Opera Browser, labeled as “promoted” with the description “browse safely”. It is unclear who adds descriptions to these listings, whether it is the product’s company or Microsoft.

Aside from these changes, the Recommended section of the Start menu will now display some Microsoft Store apps from a curated selection of developers, aiming to help users discover new and useful apps. It is also possible to disable this feature in the Windows 11 Start menu.