If you’ve stuck with Windows 10 because you don’t like how Microsoft is seemingly pumping Windows 11 full of adverts then we have some bad news, as it looks like the company could start doing the same with Windows 10’s Start menu.
The tech giant is currently testing out bringing the “Microsoft account manager” flyout menu in a couple of different layouts to the Start menu. This would enable Windows 10 users to manage their Microsoft accounts in various ways, including switching between different accounts, changing account settings, or signing out completely.
This would be fairly benign if that was the whole story, but it appears that Microsoft account manager could be used to encourage users to sign up for Microsoft’s own products and services like Microsoft 365, a subscription service for apps like Word, Excel, and OneDrive.
Windows Latest explains that Windows 10 users might start seeing more notifications and prompts reminding you (or as some might put it, nagging you) that your Microsoft account actually exists, to set up a recovery plan, and to learn more about Microsoft 365. Apparently, this doesn’t go away even if you've subscribed to the basic Microsoft 365 plan.
More bad news - it looks like you can't get rid of it
As reported by Windows Latest, Microsoft seems to be playing around with a couple of different designs for this account manager feature. In screenshots provided by Windows Latest, you can see the dedicated button in different parts of the left-hand Start menu sidebar, and while it’s not fully functional at the moment, it does look like it could be easier to jump to account management (if that’s something you’re after).
I personally don’t manage my Microsoft account that often so this wouldn’t do very much for me, and unfortunately, if you want to remove this feature, it doesn’t appear that there’s a straightforward way to switch it off.
I’ve gone through cycles of frustration with Microsoft and it’s a bummer that this intrusive method of pushing its own services appears to be the new normal. Also, it wants to convert its Windows 10 user base to Windows 11, even if users are reluctant to do so. However, Microsoft also peppers Windows 11’s UI with ads so it doesn’t look like there will be an easy escape from these kinds of interruptions - unless you switch to a different, non-Microsoft, operating system such as macOS 15 Sequoia or Linux.
Of course, Microsoft understandably wants more people to subscribe or purchase its products and services, but there’s a real danger that this heavy-handed approach could do more harm than good. In these financially uncertain times, many people are looking to cut down on their subscriptions, for example, and they won’t like feeling like they are being encouraged to sign up for more.
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