How to opt out of targeted offers in Windows 11 privacy settings

Disable Recommendations in the Start Menu

To stop recommendations and offers windows 11 shows in your Start menu ⊞, open Settings ⚙️, go to Personalization, and select Start. Turn off the toggle switches for recently added apps, suggested content, and tips to clear out the extra clutter and sponsored apps right away.

1. Open Settings ⚙️ by pressing the Win and the I key together.

   

2. Select Personalization from the left sidebar.

   

3. Click on Start from the available options.

   

4. Turn off the toggle switches next to Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, and Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.

Turn Off Promotional Notifications in Settings

To stop promotional notifications and recommendations and offers windows 11 sends through the Settings ⚙️ app, open Settings, go to System, and select Notifications. Scroll to the bottom of the page and uncheck the boxes for tips, suggestions, and welcome experiences.

1. Open Settings ⚙️.
2. Select System from the left menu.
3. Click on Notifications.

   

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click to expand Additional settings.
5. Uncheck the boxes for Show me the welcome experience after updates and occasionally when I sign in to highlight what’s new and suggested and Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.

Stop Suggested Content on the Lock Screen

To stop recommendations and offers windows 11 displays on your lock screen, open Settings ⚙️, go to Personalization, and click Lock screen. Change your background setting from Windows Spotlight to a picture or slideshow to remove tips, trivia, and sponsored images.

1. Open Settings ⚙️.
2. Select Personalization.
3. Click on Lock screen.

   

4. Click the dropdown menu next to Personalize your lock screen and change it from Windows spotlight to Picture or Slideshow.
5. Uncheck the box for Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen if it remains visible.

Block Content Delivery Manager Suggestions via Settings

To block recommendations and offers windows 11 delivers through background services, open Settings ⚙️, go to Privacy & security, and select Diagnostics & feedback. Turn off tailored experiences to stop Microsoft from using your diagnostic data for targeted suggestions.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Privacy & security.

   

3. Click on Diagnostics & feedback.

   

4. Turn off the toggle switch for Tailored experiences, which stops Microsoft from using diagnostic data to offer personalized tips and recommendations.

Remove Tailored Offers via Registry Editor

Back up your registry first, then navigate to the correct software keys to turn off cloud content and silent app installation features.

This method modifies system behavior using Registry Editor.

1. Press the Windows key and the R key together to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor. When the User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes.
3. Navigate to the following location using the left sidebar: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager
4. Look for the DWORD value named SubscribedContent-338389Enabled in the right pane. If it does not exist, right-click an empty space, select New, click DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it SubscribedContent-338389Enabled.
5. Double-click SubscribedContent-338389Enabled and change its value data to 0, then click OK.
6. Locate or create additional DWORD values such as SubscribedContent-338388Enabled and SubscribedContent-338389Enabled (depending on your exact build) and set their data to 0 as well.

Stop Suggested Apps in File Explorer

To stop recommendations and offers windows 11 shows inside File Explorer, open folder options from the three-dot menu on the command bar. Go to the View tab and uncheck the setting that shows sync provider notifications to clean up your folder view.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click the three horizontal dots on the command bar at the top and select Options to open Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Scroll down the advanced settings list and uncheck the box for Show sync provider notifications.
5. Click Apply and then OK.

What to do next

With promotional suggestions disabled, you should now experience a cleaner, quieter Windows 11 interface free from marketing distractions. Consider optimizing your taskbar layout or managing startup applications next to further improve your system's performance and usability.