It turns out Microsoft has no plans to reduce or remove ads from Windows and native apps, but there’s a neat workaround.
Do you hate ads in the Weather app? Here’s a tip: Make the Weather app window smaller. For some reason, Microsoft doesn’t show ads when the window is smaller or screen resolution is less than 1080p.
A Fresh Coat of Paint: Microsoft Fluent Design
As first spotted by Windows Latest, the Weather app now has a touch of Microsoft Fluent Design. You’ll notice the Fluent Design blur and transparency effect on the left menu, homepage, and other widgets or tiles within the app. This modern aesthetic brings a sleek and cohesive look to the application, aligning it with other Windows 11 elements.
You’ll also notice a new menu on the left side that lets you switch between daily, weekly, monthly, maps, and other forecasts. This navigation control lets you switch between different sections of the homepage, but it depends on where you live. You may not see advanced controls for locations with limited weather reporting.
Ads, Ads Everywhere
However, you’ll now see ads on every page of the Weather app. Microsoft has adjusted the interface to have more than two sticky ads within Windows 11’s inbox app. Unfortunately, you cannot roll back the change. In 2023, Microsoft began replacing several UWP apps with Edge-based WebView versions. Microsoft has killed off most of the UWP apps and replaced them with Edge engine.
While Weather is an “app,” it loads the msn.com/weather in an Edge container, which is why you see ads. This shift to Edge-based WebView versions means that the Weather app is essentially a web page wrapped in an app interface, bringing with it all the advertising that one would expect from a web experience.
For those who find the ads intrusive, making the window smaller or lowering your screen resolution might be a temporary fix. But for now, it seems that ads in the Weather app are here to stay.
