Microsoft just got rid of a bunch of ads in Windows 11 - if you still use Skype, that is

Microsoft has actually removed adverts from something in Windows 11, albeit it's likely an app you've forgotten about - namely Skype.

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Fewer adverts equals happier users - it's a simple enough equation (Image Credit: Microsoft)

If you recall, when Windows 11 was released (in 2021), Skype was dropped as a default (pre-installed) app from the roster (replaced by Microsoft Teams instead). However, the Skype client is still available for Windows 11 (and is still happily chugging along on other platforms), you just have to download it from the Microsoft Store.

Wherever you use Skype, the good news is that with a new preview build for testers, all the adverts have been banished from the app.

In the release notes for Insider build 8.125 of Skype, Microsoft observes:

"We're excited to announce that Skype is now ad-free! Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered and more enjoyable user experience."

If you haven't used Skype for a while - like us - you may be wondering where the ads were exactly. Well, Microsoft tells us they've been removed from Skype channels, and from chats where they apparently popped up.

Overall, the idea is to make the app more streamlined and generally less annoying, and it's a positive step forward for Skype.

Another major move with this test build is a revamped image creation option for Skype on its desktop platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux - note the app is also on mobile, with Android and iOS support).

On desktop, there's an image creator that you can use right in the chat window, or via the top menu bar, and the interface has been polished up in general. You can now easily expand AI-generated images by simply clicking on them, and on macOS, we're told there's a fix for 'margin inconsistencies' for a more consistent overall design.

If you still use Skype, then, some pretty useful goodies should be coming your way soon enough, assuming that the changes don't get abandoned during testing (which there's always a slight risk of).

A broader move?

Could this indicate a broader move coming from Microsoft to perhaps tone down the ads in Windows 11 and 10, maybe? Can we at least hold on to a sliver of hope that this might be the case?

That seems very unlikely sadly, as Microsoft has been pushing and pushing with more adverts on a continual basis in recent times. Most recently we've seen extra ads piped into the Microsoft Store with Windows 11, and also a rather annoying full-screen pop-up touting all the benefits of keeping a backup via OneDrive.

All in all, these changes are more likely to be tied into trying to persuade more people to use Skype, than with any overall change in policy regarding ads from Microsoft - although that said, the company's focus is very much on Teams instead, these days.