Windows 11 displays Harry Potter ad wallpapers

Windows 11 allows users to set their desktop wallpapers through a number of native options, including Picture, Monochrome, Slideshow, and Windows Spotlight. However, there is also the option to change their wallpapers through other mechanisms. One such solution is Bing Wallpaper, which is now promoting Harry Potter ads on Windows 11 PCs, as many unhappy customers report.

For those who don't know, Bing Wallpaper is an app developed by Microsoft itself, designed to display "beautiful images from around the world" that were previously displayed on the Bing homepage. Many of the company's customers use this app, as it provides automatically updated graphical backgrounds. It should be mentioned that Bing also supports the Windows Spotlight feature.

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However, reports from Reddit indicate that Bing Wallpaper is showing ads for a collection of 11 films from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises. It also displays a subtitle in the bottom right that says “Available now,” along with a “Search the web to learn more about this image” in the top right, essentially encouraging interested Windows users to purchase the collection.

Windows 11 users are clearly not happy, with some even getting angry about the franchise. However, not everyone is seeing this ad, as these wallpapers are dynamic and can vary depending on location.

It's possible that Warner Bros. paid Microsoft for this ad placement. Interestingly, the website for Bing Wallpaper states that users may see "in-app ads" if they use the app, but it's written in a smaller font.

Microsoft may be legally okay with showing ads on Windows 11 computers via Bing Wallpaper, but many unsuspecting customers find the move rather unpleasant, as evidenced by this Microsoft Learn thread.

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Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.