Tech
Windows 11 desktop becomes a full-page Harry Potter ad - and Bing Wallpaper users rebel by uninstalling the app
Microsoft's Bing Wallpaper app is serving full-page promotional images for a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie collection as desktop backgrounds
Key takeaways
- Bing Wallpaper is serving a full-page promotional image for a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie collection as a desktop background.
- A significant number of users are uninstalling the Bing Wallpaper app in response to the advertisement.
- The ad rollout is regional and does not affect every Bing Wallpaper user.
- The terms and conditions of the Bing Wallpaper app allow for promotional offers from Microsoft.
- This represents Microsoft plumbing fresh depths in Windows ecosystem advertising.
Microsoft's Bing Wallpaper app is serving full-page promotional images for a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie collection as desktop backgrounds on Windows 11. The regional rollout has triggered a backlash on Reddit, with many users immediately uninstalling the free add-on app. While the app's terms and conditions allow for promotional offers, users have criticized the intrusive nature of the unskippable desktop advertisement.
The intrusive desktop ad has triggered a user rebellion and widespread uninstalls of Bing Wallpaper.
In their words
“I had it [Bing Wallpaper] installed since up until this point it was a fairly harmless program that gave a variety of animals, environments or pattern backgrounds that rotate daily. Wtf?”
“Free software from a trillion dollar company means you are the product.”
By the numbers
- 11
- Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies in the advertised collection
How it unfolded
- Bing Wallpaper background clicks accidentally triggered Bing searches
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Common questions
- What happened with Bing Wallpaper?
- Bing Wallpaper is serving a full-page promotional image for a Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie collection as a desktop background.
- Where can I read the original report?
- Read the full report at Techradar.
