How to turn off Microsoft Rewards on lock screen on Windows 10
Microsoft uses all sorts of ways to push content and its services onto Windows 10 users. Most of its attempts have been met with resistance and a lot of criticism. Still, Microsoft continues to push OneDrive, Bing, and Edge every chance it gets, and on any user interface that allows it.
Microsoft Rewards on Lock Screen
When you lock your system, a panel appears over it called the ‘lock screen.’ This lock screen features a wallpaper, the current time, notifications from apps that have been allowed to show notifications on the lock screen, and you might also see an ad for Microsoft Rewards. When you tap a key on the keyboard or click with your mouse, the lock screen is dismissed, and you are taken to the login screen.
Turn off Microsoft Rewards on Lock Screen
Turning off Microsoft Rewards on the Lock Screen is easy, but the switch isn’t where you’d expect it to be.
- Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to the Personalization group of settings.
- Select the Lock Screen tab.
- Turn off the ‘Get fun facts, tips, and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen’ switch.
- Lock your screen, and the ad will be gone from it.
Turn off app notifications
The lock screen can also show notifications from apps that are allowed to show notifications. If you see an envelope icon or a birthday reminder on the lock screen, it’s coming from apps, and they have to be disabled from a different settings panel.
- Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to the System group of settings.
- Select the Notifications & actions tab.
- Uncheck the ‘Show notifications on lock screen’ option.
- This will stop notifications from appearing on the lock screen, but you will continue to see them on your desktop.
Note: the login screen does not display notifications from apps.
Conclusion
Microsoft doesn’t seem to relent when it comes to showing ads in the oddest places on Windows 10. The only good thing about it is that there’s normally a way to turn them off. The off switch may be obvious, like the settings we’ve listed in this article, but they’re also hidden sometimes, and users have to edit the registry to get rid of a certain type of ad. It is entirely up to Microsoft to keep these settings around. It can easily remove them in a feature update, and users can only stay on an older version for so long before they’re updated to the next one.
