Users getting links to apps and games listed in the store

Feb 25, 2016 07:06 GMT  ·  By

Back in July 2015, when it was officially rolled out to users around the world, Windows 10 also introduced a new feature called Windows Spotlight, which displays new wallpapers on the lock screen every day and allows users to vote for the ones they like.

But it appears that the very same feature is now being used to display some full-screen ads for apps and games listed in the store, according to a recent report.

HowToGeek writes that Windows 10 PCs with Windows Spotlight enabled are seeing full-screen ads for Rise of the Tomb Raider right on the lock screen if a dedicated option is activated in the Settings screen (this option is turned on by default when you enable Spotlight).

Specifically, the wallpaper is changed with a new graphic advertising the latest iteration of Tomb Raider, but in addition to the background photo itself, users also get a link that leads them to the store to purchase the game.

Previously, Microsoft has shown app recommendations in the Windows 10 Start menu too, but this is the first time we’re seeing such ads on the lock screen. The functionality to display full-screen ads has existed since launch, and yet, Microsoft has only recently started showing them.

How to disable these ads

Fortunately, there’s a very simple way to continue using Windows Spotlight or a slideshow on your lock screen without actually showing this new type of ads.

All you have to do is launch Settings and go to Personalization > Lock screen and disable the option that says “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen.” The “more” term in this phrase probably refers to ads, but Microsoft clearly doesn’t say it specifically.

While getting app recommendations in the Start menu is not such a big deal because you can easily ignore them, seeing similar ads on the lock screen and with a link to the store might be disappointing for some and can only lead to more criticism against Microsoft.

There are already claims that Microsoft is turning Windows 10 into an ad-based operating system, and even though that’s not entirely true, this new type of ads clearly doesn’t help.