Turn Off Personalized Windows 11 Offers & Tips

Windows 11 shows personalized tips, suggestions, and offers in places like the Start menu, Settings, and lock screen. If you find these distracting or want more privacy, you can turn them off with a few settings changes. This guide walks you through every relevant toggle so you can stop the promotional content and focus on your work.

What You’ll Need

A PC running Windows 11 (any recent version, 22H2 or later)
Administrator access to change some settings (you’ll be prompted if needed)

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Press Windows + I on your keyboard, or click the Start button and select the gear icon.
Go to Personalization. In the left sidebar, click Personalization.
Turn off Start suggestions. Click Start in the Personalization page. Toggle off the switch labeled Show suggestions for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more. This removes promotional tiles from the Start menu.
Disable lock screen tips. Still in Personalization, click Lock screen. Look for the option Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen and turn it off. (If you don’t see it, your lock screen is set to a picture or slideshow; the option appears when using Windows Spotlight.)
Go to System > Notifications. Click System in the left sidebar, then Notifications.
Turn off notification suggestions. Scroll down to the section Notifications from apps and other senders. Look for Suggestions for ways to get the most out of Windows and uncheck the box. Also uncheck Suggest ways I can finish setting up my device to get the most out of Windows if present.
Disable additional suggestions in Notifications settings. Still in Notifications, click Notification preferences (or Additional settings depending on your version). Uncheck Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested.
Turn off tips in Settings app. In Settings, go to System > Notifications again (or Privacy & security > General on some versions). Look for Show me suggested content in the Settings app and turn it off. This removes the banner ads inside Settings.
Disable tailored experiences. Go to Privacy & security > General (or Diagnostics & feedback on older builds). Turn off Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID and Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches. These reduce personalized offers across the system.
Turn off Windows Spotlight (optional). If you want to stop all lock screen ads, go to Personalization > Lock screen and change the background from Windows Spotlight to a Picture or Slideshow. This removes the rotating promotional images.
Disable suggested content in File Explorer (if you see it). Open File Explorer, click the three-dot menu (…) in the toolbar, then Options. In the View tab, uncheck Show sync provider notifications (this is for OneDrive ads) and Show suggestions in the navigation pane if available. Click OK.
Restart your PC. Some changes only take effect after a restart. Save your work and restart to apply everything.

Common Mistakes

Missing the Start suggestions toggle: It’s easy to overlook because it’s under Personalization > Start, not in the Start menu itself.
Thinking you’ve turned off all notifications: Turning off the master notification switch will disable all notifications, but you only want to disable the suggestions. Use the specific toggles listed above.
Not checking the lock screen because you use a picture: The lock screen tips option only appears when Windows Spotlight is active. If you use a picture, you don’t need to change anything there.
Forgetting the Settings app suggestions: The banner at the top of Settings is controlled by a separate toggle in Notifications or Privacy settings. Many people miss it.

Tips

Use Group Policy for more control (Pro/Enterprise only): If you have Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can use gpedit.msc to disable all tips at once. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content and enable Turn off all Windows spotlight features.
Check for new settings after updates: Windows updates sometimes reset or add new suggestion toggles. After a major update, revisit these settings.
Use the Registry Editor as a last resort: For a more thorough disable, you can add a registry key. Open regedit and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent. Create a DWORD named DisableSoftLanding and set it to 1. This is advanced; only do this if you’re comfortable with the registry.

Troubleshooting

If you’ve followed the steps but still see tips or offers, try these fixes:

Check for a new Windows version: Some toggles are in different locations across versions. Make sure your Windows is up to date via Settings > Windows Update.
Re-verify each toggle: Go through the steps again, especially the Notifications section. Sometimes a toggle gets switched back after a restart.
Run the Group Policy editor (Pro/Enterprise): If you have a Pro version, use the Group Policy method mentioned in Tips to force-disable all cloud content.
Check for third-party apps: Some apps (like certain OEM utilities) can re-enable suggestions. Look for any pre-installed “support” or “optimization” software from your PC manufacturer and disable its notification settings.
Reset the Settings app: If Settings itself is glitching, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Settings, click the three-dot menu, and choose Advanced options. Then click Repair or Reset (this won’t affect your personal files).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will turning off these suggestions affect my ability to get updates?
A: No. These toggles only disable promotional content and tips. Windows Update and security patches are unaffected.

Q: I don’t see the “Show suggestions for tips” toggle in Start settings. Why?
A: That toggle is available on most Windows 11 versions. If it’s missing, your PC might be managed by an organization (work/school) or you have a very old build. Update Windows first, then check again.

Q: Do I need to turn off all of these to stop ads?
A: Not necessarily. The most common sources are the Start menu suggestions and lock screen tips. Turning off those two will eliminate most visible ads. The others reduce personalized content in notifications and Settings.

Q: Will this also stop ads in apps like Mail or News?
A: No. These settings only affect Windows’ own suggestions. Apps like Mail and News have their own ad settings. You’ll need to disable ads within each app individually.

Q: Can I turn off suggestions for just one user account?
A: Yes. All the toggles in Settings are per-user. If you have multiple accounts, you’ll need to repeat these steps for each account.

Q: After a Windows update, the tips came back. What should I do?
A: Major updates sometimes reset some settings. Revisit the steps above after each feature update. You can also use the Group Policy or Registry method for a more permanent solution.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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