This guide walks through where these settings live and how to shut them off. Which method is best depends on your edition: the Settings toggles work everywhere, while the “Do not show Windows tips” policy is only supported on Enterprise and Education.

Quick Answer

On any edition, open Settings (Win+I) > System > Notifications, scroll down and expand “Additional settings,” then turn off “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” and the option about suggesting ways to finish setting up your device. On Windows 11 Enterprise or Education, you can also enforce this system-wide with the Group Policy setting “Do not show Windows tips.” Microsoft lists that policy as not supported on Windows 11 Pro, so on Pro and Home stick with the Settings toggles (or the per-user registry value below), which are the same switches Windows itself uses.

Turn Off Tips and Suggestions in Settings

This is the fastest method and works on every edition of Windows 11. Press Windows key + I to open Settings, then select System from the left sidebar and click Notifications on the right.

Scroll to the bottom of the Notifications page and click to expand “Additional settings.” Here you’ll find a few related options worth turning off, including “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” and the one that suggests ways to finish setting up your device to get the most out of Windows. Depending on your Windows 11 build, you may also see an option for the Windows welcome experience after updates. Uncheck each one you don’t want.

While you’re on the Notifications page, it’s also worth reviewing the main app list above and turning off notifications for individual apps that send their own promotional alerts, since not every unwanted popup comes from the “tips” settings specifically.

If you’re also seeing suggestions in the Start menu or on the lock screen, those are controlled separately. In Settings, go to Personalization > Start and turn off “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more,” then go to Personalization > Lock screen and turn off the option that shows fun facts and tips from Windows on your lock screen.

Block Tips with Group Policy (Enterprise and Education Only)

If you manage machines running Windows 11 Enterprise or Education, Group Policy gives you a more durable fix than the Settings toggles. Press Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content. Double-click “Do not show Windows tips” and set it to Enabled, then click Apply and OK. Restart your PC for the change to fully take effect.

Microsoft documents this policy as supported on Enterprise and Education editions and marks it as not supported on Pro. Pro users may still see the setting in gpedit.msc, but it shouldn’t be relied on to have any effect there. The same Cloud Content folder has related policies worth reviewing on supported editions, such as those for consumer experiences and Windows Spotlight on the lock screen.

Disable Tips via the Registry

The Registry offers two different values, and it matters which one you use. The first is the per-user value behind the Settings toggle, which works on Home and Pro (and every other edition). Press Windows key + R, type regedit, press Enter, and approve the User Account Control prompt.

Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager. Double-click the DWORD named SubscribedContent-338389Enabled and set its value data to 0. This is the same setting as the “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” toggle, so it only affects the current user account and is effectively a manual way to flip that switch. Sign out and back in, or restart, to apply it.

The second is the policy value used by Group Policy. On Enterprise or Education, if you can’t use gpedit.msc, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent (create the CloudContent key under Windows if it doesn’t exist), add a DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisableSoftLanding, and set it to 1. Because this is simply the registry backing for the “Do not show Windows tips” policy, it has the same edition limits: don’t expect it to take effect on Pro or Home.

Always back up the Registry (File > Export) before editing it, in case you need to undo a change.

Tips / Common Mistakes

Don’t stop at just one toggle. Windows 11 spreads these prompts across at least three places, Notifications settings, Start menu recommendations, and the lock screen, so turning off only one won’t fully quiet things down.

Expect some settings to reset after a major feature update. Microsoft periodically reintroduces “finish setting up your device” style prompts after big Windows updates, even when you’d previously turned them off, so it’s worth rechecking Settings after installing one.

Don’t assume Group Policy will work just because you’re on Windows 11 Pro. Microsoft lists the “Do not show Windows tips” policy as unsupported on Pro, and the DisableSoftLanding registry value is the same policy, so Pro and Home users should rely on the Settings toggles or the per-user ContentDeliveryManager value instead. Home also doesn’t include gpedit.msc at all.

Skip third-party “debloat” scripts you find online for this specific task. The built-in Settings toggles and the options above cover what’s needed and carry far less risk than running an unfamiliar script with admin rights.

Explore more: More Windows and tech tutorials.

Windows 11 notification tips and suggestions FAQs

Will turning off tips and suggestions stop all Windows 11 notifications?

No. It only stops Microsoft’s promotional and “getting started” style prompts. You’ll still get notifications from your apps, Windows Update, and security alerts unless you disable those separately in Settings > System > Notifications.

Why do these notifications keep coming back after I turn them off?

Major Windows 11 feature updates sometimes reset related settings or reintroduce new variants of these prompts. If they reappear, revisit Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings and re-disable them.

Does the Group Policy ‘Do not show Windows tips’ setting work on Windows 11 Pro?

No. Microsoft documents this policy as supported on Enterprise and Education and not supported on Pro. The DisableSoftLanding registry value is the same policy, so it has the same limitation. On Pro, use the Settings toggles under System > Notifications > Additional settings instead.

Is there a way to stop the Start menu from showing recommended apps?

Yes. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.” This is a separate setting from the notification tips toggle.

Does disabling these settings affect Windows Update or security features?

No. These settings only control promotional tips, suggestions, and feature callouts. They have no effect on Windows Update, security patches, or Windows Defender notifications.

Make Your Digital Life Better

More practical tech how-tos, tool picks, and guides to upgrade your everyday digital life. More on GTWebs.

Want web tips in your inbox? Subscribe to the free newsletter.

Photo: Lock screen background: Benh LIEU SONG This screenshot: 茅野ふたば (talk · contribs) / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post How to Stop Windows 11 Notification Tips and Suggestions appeared first on GTWebs.

This guide walks through exactly where those toggles live, what changes depending on which Windows 11 version you’re running, and how to clear out individual suggestions if you’d rather keep the section but stop it from surfacing specific items.

Quick Answer

Go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off every toggle under the recommendations settings (recently added apps, recommended/recent files, and tips or app promotions). On Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, this removes the Recommended section from the Start menu entirely, leaving just Pinned apps and All apps. On older Windows 11 versions, the section stays visible but stops showing content.

Turn Off Recommendations in Settings

Open Settings (Windows key + I), then go to Personalization > Start. This screen lists several toggles that each control a different part of what shows up in the Recommended row, so you’ll want to turn off all of them, not just one.

Turn off “Show recently added apps,” which stops newly installed apps from appearing at the top of Start. Turn off “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists” (on older builds this is labeled “Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer”) to stop recently opened documents from showing up — note that this single toggle is not Start-only, since Windows tracks recent activity in one shared list, so switching it off also empties the “Recent” section in File Explorer and clears recent items from taskbar Jump Lists. Turn off “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more” to block Microsoft’s own suggestions, like prompts to try a new app. If your Start menu also shows a “Show websites from your browsing history” toggle, switch that off too.

Once every relevant toggle is off, close and reopen the Start menu. On newer Start menu versions, the Recommended section disappears completely and you’re left with just Pinned and All apps.

What to Expect Depending on Your Windows 11 Version

Microsoft rolled out a redesigned Start menu with more granular recommendation controls starting in Windows 11 24H2 (and continuing in 25H2) — on those builds, turning off all the toggles above removes the section outright. If you’re still on Windows 11 23H2 or an earlier build, the same toggles are available under Settings > Personalization > Start, but the Recommended heading remains on screen as an empty or mostly-empty strip rather than disappearing.

You can check your version by going to Settings > System > About and looking at “Windows specification.” If you’re on an older build and want the fully collapsed layout, installing the latest Windows Update is the only way to get it — there’s no separate download or app for this feature.

Tips / Common Mistakes

Turning off only one toggle is the most common mistake — since recently added apps, recent files, and “tips” suggestions are controlled separately, missing one will leave a thinner but still-present Recommended row.

The recent-files toggle is easy to misjudge: because it’s labeled as a Start menu setting, it’s easy to flip off expecting to only change Start, then be surprised when File Explorer’s “Recent” view and taskbar Jump Lists also go empty. If you rely on those elsewhere, weigh that trade-off before turning it off.

If you’d rather keep recommendations around but hide specific entries, right-click any item in the Recommended section and choose “Remove from list.” This clears that one suggestion without changing your settings.

You can also change your Start layout under Settings > Personalization > Start > Layout. Choosing “More pins” shrinks the space given to recommendations in favor of your pinned apps, which is a good middle ground if you don’t want to lose recommendations entirely.

If the section still doesn’t clear after toggling everything off, restart your PC — Start menu changes on Windows 11 don’t always apply until Explorer restarts, and a reboot forces that.

Explore more: More Windows tutorials.

Windows 11 Start menu recommendations FAQs

Why can’t I find a single “turn off Recommended” switch?

Microsoft splits the Recommended section into separate content types — recent files, recently added apps, and tip/app suggestions — each with its own toggle in Settings > Personalization > Start. You need to turn off all of them to clear the section.

Will this also affect anything outside the Start menu?

Yes, for one of the toggles. “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists” controls a single shared recent-activity list, so turning it off also empties the Recent section in File Explorer and clears recent items from taskbar Jump Lists, not just Start. The recently-added-apps and tips/promotions toggles only affect Start.

Do I need admin rights to turn off Start menu recommendations?

No, these are per-user Settings toggles and don’t require administrator access on a personal PC.

Make Your Digital Life Better

More practical tech how-tos, tool picks, and guides to upgrade your everyday digital life. More on GTWebs.

Want web tips in your inbox? Subscribe to the free newsletter.

Photo: Microsoft Corporation / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post How to Turn Off Recommended in the Windows 11 Start Menu appeared first on GTWebs.

This guide walks through each control that actually matters: the one for your Google Photos library, the one for anything you upload directly to the Gemini app, and a newer one covering images and audio from Google Search, Lens, and Translate. Turn off the ones that apply to you and you’ll close the gaps that actually exist — though it’s worth knowing upfront that no setting fully removes Google’s ability to review content when it’s tied to safety or abuse concerns.

Quick Answer

There isn’t one master switch. To limit Google’s use of your visual and audio data for AI training, check three places: your Gemini Apps Activity settings (myactivity.google.com/product/gemini), the newer Search Services History “Save Media” control (myactivity.google.com/search-services/settings), and, inside the Google Photos app, the Gemini features and Face Grouping toggles under Photos settings. Google states that photos stored in your Google Photos library itself aren’t used to train AI models outside of Google Photos — the risk mainly comes from photos you actively share into Gemini, Search, or Lens. Note that turning off Gemini Apps Activity (also labeled Keep Activity) stops future chats and attachments from being used for training, but it does not stop all human review — Google says it can still review content to protect users and enforce safety policies, regardless of that setting.

Turn Off Gemini Apps Activity

Anything you upload directly into the Gemini app or gemini.google.com — including photos, screenshots, or videos you attach to a chat — can be saved to your account and reviewed by humans to improve Google’s models, unless you turn this off. Go to myactivity.google.com/product/gemini while signed in, and switch Keep Activity to off. This stops future conversations, including any files you attach, from being saved to your activity history or used to train Google’s AI models — but it does not stop all human review: Google says it can still review chats to keep its services safe and secure, and this happens independently of the Keep Activity setting.

This setting has real limits. Google says it processes Gemini Apps content to maintain the safety and reliability of its services, including detecting and responding to fraud, abuse, and security risks — and content reviewed or flagged this way can still be seen by humans and retained separately (Google says for up to three years) even with Keep Activity off. Google also holds conversations for a short window (up to roughly 72 hours) to operate the service before they’re eligible for deletion. In other words, turning the toggle off limits training use, not all human access.

Turning the setting off going forward doesn’t erase what was already saved — you’ll want to delete existing activity from the same page as well. It’s also worth deleting any photos or files you’ve previously sent to Gemini in past conversations, since those were saved under the old setting if Keep Activity was on at the time.

Check the Newer Search Services “Save Media” Setting

In 2026 Google rolled out a broader setting that governs images from Google Lens, audio from voice search, and recordings from Google Translate — separate from the Gemini toggle above, and enabled by default for many accounts. Go to myactivity.google.com/search-services/settings and turn off Save Media. This stops new images, audio, and video from your Search-related interactions from being stored and used to develop Google’s AI models.

This setting doesn’t automatically turn off Gemini Apps Activity, and vice versa — they’re independent, so check both if you want full coverage.

In your Google Photos app, tap your profile icon in the top right, then go to Photos settings, then Preferences, and look for Gemini features in Photos (sometimes labeled ‘Use Gemini in Photos’). Turning this off disables Gemini-powered features like Ask Photos and AI-generated memories that read your library.

While you’re there, go to the Privacy section of Photos settings and turn off Face Grouping. This stops Google from grouping photos by the faces it recognizes, which limits what facial data is available to AI-driven features.

According to Google’s stated privacy policy, content stored purely in your Google Photos library is not used to train generative AI models outside of Google Photos. The exposure mainly happens when you actively share a photo into Gemini, Search, or a connected app — at that point it’s treated under that product’s separate terms, not the Photos library’s.

Tips / Common Mistakes

Don’t assume turning off Keep Activity means nobody at Google will ever see a chat or photo you send to Gemini — safety and abuse review can still apply regardless of the setting, so avoid sending sensitive images or personal documents through the Gemini app.

Check all three settings, not just one. People commonly turn off Gemini Apps Activity and assume they’re covered, then forget that Search Services Save Media is a separate toggle that’s on by default.

If you submit feedback (like a thumbs-down) on a Gemini response, Google says it may collect recent chat history around that feedback to review it, even with Keep Activity off — skip feedback if you want to minimize what’s shared.

Revisit these settings periodically. Google has changed how these controls are named and organized more than once, so a setting you configured months ago may have moved or been split into a new one.

Explore more: More technology guides.

Google Photos and Gemini AI training opt-out FAQs

Does Google use everything in my Google Photos library to train Gemini?

Google states that photos and videos stored in your Google Photos library are not used to train AI models outside of Google Photos. The exposure comes from actively uploading or sharing a photo into the Gemini app, Search, or Lens, which falls under different terms.

If I turn off Gemini Apps Activity, does that stop all human review of my chats?

No. Turning off Keep Activity stops future conversations from being saved to your activity history and used to train Google’s models, but it does not stop all human review — Google says conversations can still be reviewed by humans to protect users and enforce safety policies, and content flagged for safety, fraud, or abuse concerns can be retained separately regardless of the setting.

Are the Gemini toggle and the Search Services “Save Media” toggle the same setting?

No. They’re independent controls — one covers the Gemini app, the other covers images and audio from Search, Lens, and Translate. Turning off one does not turn off the other, so check both.

Will turning off these settings break features I use, like Google Photos memories?

Turning off Gemini features in Photos will disable AI-powered features like Ask Photos and AI-generated memories, since those rely on the same processing. Basic backup, search, and organization in Google Photos will still work.

Make Your Digital Life Better

More practical tech how-tos, tool picks, and guides to upgrade your everyday digital life. More on GTWebs.

Want web tips in your inbox? Subscribe to the free newsletter.

Photo by Zulfugar Karimov on Unsplash.

The post How to Stop Google From Using Your Photos to Train Gemini appeared first on GTWebs.