How to Turn Off Microsoft Consumer Experiences on Windows 10 and 11

Microsoft's Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems include a feature called Microsoft Consumer Experiences. This feature automatically installs suggested apps, games, and promotional content from the Microsoft Store onto users' devices.

By default, Consumer Experiences is enabled in Windows 10 and 11 Home, Pro, and Enterprise editions. It populates the Start menu with tiles linking to apps like Candy Crush Saga, Twitter, Flipboard, and more. Some users find this annoying bloatware that clutters their system.

There are a few ways to disable Microsoft Consumer Experiences in Windows 10 and 11:

• Use the Group Policy Editor (Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, Education)
• Modify settings in the Windows Registry Editor
• Manage via MDM tools like Microsoft Intune

This guide will walk through how to fully disable Consumer Experiences using Group Policy and Registry tweaks.

Disabling Microsoft Consumer Experiences can:

• Remove unwanted apps and clutter from Start menu
• Prevent future bloatware installations
• Increase privacy by limiting Microsoft data collection

So if you want to declutter your Windows 10 or 11 Start menu, follow along in this complete guide!

Understanding Microsoft Consumer Experiences

In this section, we will provide an expert overview of the Microsoft Consumer Experience feature included in Windows 10 and 11.

The Consumer Experience feature automatically installs suggested apps, games, and content from the Microsoft Store. When setting up a new Windows device, users will notice apps like Candy Crush Soda Saga, Twitter, and Photoshop Express populate the Start Menu.

Microsoft enables this feature by default to personalize the Windows experience. Their goal is to surface apps tailored to each user based on their region, interests, and device usage data collected through telemetry. However, many users and IT professionals consider these suggestions unwanted "bloatware."

Consumer Experiences can:

• Install games and apps like Candy Crush without the user's permission
• Pin promotional app tiles to the Start Menu
• Display tips and recommendations fueled by telemetry data

This feature comes enabled on Windows 10 and 11 Home, Pro, and Enterprise by default. So even business devices receive these consumer-focused app suggestions.

Microsoft determines which apps and content to promote using a combination of telemetry data from device usage and user account profiles. Many regard this as an invasion of privacy.

There are several key downsides to the Consumer Experiences feature:

• It installs unnecessary apps many users do not want
• It clutters the Start Menu with promotional tiles
• It raises privacy concerns around excessive data collection
• It pushes consumer apps onto enterprise devices

Fortunately, there are ways to fully disable Consumer Experiences which we will cover in the following sections. The Group Policy Editor and Registry Editor offer system-wide fixes, or you can uninstall apps selectively if you prefer.

We welcome your thoughts on whether Microsoft's Consumer Experience feature is helpful or just an annoyance.

Disabling Consumer Experiences in Windows 10

Alright, time to banish those pesky Consumer Experiences from Windows 10! 💪

Disabling this "feature" takes just a few simple steps using the handy Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor built into Windows. We'll walk you through both options.

Using Group Policy Editor (for Pro, Enterprise, Education)

Got Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education? Then you can use the Group Policy Editor to disable Consumer Experiences.

Here's how:

1. Hit the Windows key + R and then type "gpedit.msc" to launch the Group Policy Editor
2. Navigate to this path:
   
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content
3. Double click on "Turn off Microsoft consumer experience"
4. Set the policy to Enabled
5. Click OK or Apply and you're done!

It should now be disabled system-wide. Give your PC a restart for good measure.

Here's what that looks like visually:

The Group Policy setting simply turns the whole thing off. No more suggested apps or personalized tips and recommendations.

Your Start menu will finally be clutter free!

Using Registry Editor (for Home)

Don't have access to gpedit.msc? No worries, you can modify a registry key instead.

Just follow these steps:

1. Launch the Registry Editor by hit the Windows key and type "regedit"
2. Navigate to this registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
3. Select CloudContent. If it does not exist create it by right-click, New > Key. Make sure you name it "CloudContent"
4. Double-click on 
   
   DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures
   If it does not exist, add a new DWORD value called
   
   DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures
   by right-click, New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
5. Set the value data to 1
6. Restart your PC

This registry tweak accomplishes the same thing - fully disabling Consumer Experiences sitewide.

No more annoying app suggestions or promotional tiles in your Start menu. Just a clean, professional desktop.

Verifying It Worked

To confirm Consumer Experiences is properly disabled, create a new user account.

The Start menu should be free of any suggested apps or links to the Microsoft Store.

You can also check for the registry key or Group Policy setting to double check.

If you still see app suggestions, try restarting your PC or running

gpupdate /force
in Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt to refresh policies. Then Consumer Experiences should be gone for good!

Disabling Consumer Experiences in Windows 11

Windows 11 brings a fresh new interface, but still includes the trusty old Consumer Experiences feature. Let's go through how to disable it on the latest OS.

The steps are nearly identical to Windows 10. You can use either Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor to turn off Consumer Experiences.

We'll walk through both methods below.

Group Policy Editor

For Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions, the Group Policy Editor is your friend.

Here are the steps:

1. Launch the Run command (Windows + R)
2. Type "gpedit.msc" and hit Enter
3. Navigate to this policy path:
   
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content
4. Double click "Turn off Microsoft consumer experience"
5. Set to Enabled and click OK or Apply

That's all there is to it! This policy disables the consumer antics sitewide.

The only difference in Windows 11 is the GUI - the underlying policy works the same.

Here's a screenshot of the process:

Give your PC a restart and enjoy the decluttered Start menu. No more Candy Crush!

Registry Editor

If you're on Windows 11 Home, the Registry Editor lets you flip the switch off.

Follow these steps:

1. Launch regedit
2. Navigate to this registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent
3. Add a new DWORD called
   
   DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures
4. Set the value to 1
5. Restart your device

That prevents Consumer Experiences from installing suggestions or showing promotional content.

The registry tweak works the same on Windows 11 as it does on Windows 10. Quick and easy.

Verifying It's Disabled

To confirm it worked, create a new user profile and observe the Start menu.

It should be free of app suggestions, ads, and other consumer fluff.

You can also check for the Group Policy or registry change being active.

If not, try restarting or running gpupdate /force in Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt before rechecking.

Then you can enjoy a clean Windows 11 experience. No more bloatware suggestions!

Disabling via MDM

For companies managing fleets of Windows devices, MDM tools like Microsoft Intune provide another option to disable Consumer Experiences.

MDM allows IT admins to configure devices remotely using centralized policies.

Let's look at how to turn off our friend Consumer Experiences through Intune and other MDM platforms.

MDM Policies

MDM tools like Intune use the Policy CSP to configure and enforce policies on managed devices.

Within the Policy CSP, there are a few specific settings that control Consumer Experiences:

• ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Experience/AllowWindowsConsumerFeatures
• ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/CloudContent/DisableSoftLanding

Setting these policies to disabled or enabled respectively will turn off Consumer Experiences sitewide.

For example, in Intune you would configure:

• Policy URI:
  
  ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Experience/AllowWindowsConsumerFeatures
• Value: 0

This sets the

DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures
policy via the Policy CSP, akin to using Group Policy or Registry Editor.

For complete details on Microsoft's MDM platform and the Policy CSP, check out these resources:

• Policy CSP overview
• Configure Consumer Experiences policies

These docs from Microsoft have in-depth technical guidance on managing MDM policies through Intune and other tools.

Remote Administration

The main benefit of using MDM for policy management is easy administration at scale.

Policies configured in the cloud platform apply automatically to corporate devices based on rules and targeting criteria.

So you can disable Consumer Experiences across your fleet quickly without touching individual PCs.

Verification

To confirm the MDM policy took effect:

• Check for the policy value on enrolled devices
• Observe clean Start menus without app promos
• Confirm registry keys or Group Policies are set properly

Overall, MDM provides powerful remote tools to disable Consumer Experiences and other policies across an organization.

Summary

We've covered a ton of ground on disabling Consumer Experiences in Windows 10 and 11!

Let's recap the key takeaways:

• Consumer Experiences pushes app suggestions and promotional content
• It comes enabled by default on Home, Pro, and Enterprise
• You can fully disable it with Group Policy or Registry Editor
• MDM tools like Intune also allow disabling remotely
• Alternatives include selectively uninstalling apps
• Adjusting Microsoft account settings is another option

Now you have all the knowledge to banish Consumer Experiences bloatware for good!

A few parting thoughts:

• Perform clean installs to avoid any lingering apps
• Verify policy changes fully applied via new user accounts
• Don't forget your trusty
  
  gpupdate /force
  for policy refreshes

Whew, that was a lot of info! But now your Windows desktop can finally be clutter-free and professional.

Thanks for sticking with us on this journey. Go enjoy your pristine Start menu!

WATAFAQ