14 DAY TRIAL // Ads in Windows aren’t a new concept, but it now looks like Microsoft is planning to give a reboot to this super-controversial approach.
The Redmond-based software giant is working on overhauling File Explorer with the addition of one of the most anticipated features: support for tabs.
As everybody knows already, tabs in File Explorer are one of the most requested features on Windows 11, and a recent discovery revealed the software giant is now working on making it happen.
But as it turns out, this isn’t the only big change that Microsoft is planning for File Explorer.
Twitter user @flobo09 has shared a screenshot showing what many people wouldn’t be willing to accept in File Explorer: ads at the top of the screen, obviously promoting other Microsoft products.
Just an experiment for now
The ad in the screenshot highlights Microsoft Editor, part of the Microsoft Office suite, but of course, Microsoft could use this feature for several other products.
At this point, very little is known about how Microsoft wants to integrate ads in File Explorer, and it’s not even clear if the company is just experimenting with this controversial idea or the decision has already been made.
Obviously, we also don’t know if closing one ad prevents others from showing up, but there’s a chance this isn’t exactly the behavior Microsoft has in mind for File Explorer.
Right now, it’s very clear that someone at Microsoft at least thought it’s a good idea to bring ads to File Explorer, but there’s absolutely no doubt the gigantic community out there won’t react well to such news. It remains to be seen if Microsoft ends up shipping this “feature” to insiders, but the company should rather prepare for a massive avalanche of criticism if it does this.