Windows 11’s desktop is now a full-screen ad for Harry Potter movies
Microsoft recently caused a stir among some users with an ad that fills the entire Windows 11 desktop background. It’s a wallpaper that ends up on the computer via the Bing Wallpaper app.
The full-screen wallpaper advertises a collection of the eight Harry Potter films plus three Fantastic Beasts films. The caption “Available Now” makes it clear what the whole thing is about: Windows 11 users are being encouraged to buy this film collection via wallpaper. However, this marketing stunt was not received well on Reddit.
Not all Windows users are seeing this Harry Potter ad, mainly because Bing rotates its wallpapers and varies them depending on the user’s region. According to Windows Latest, “One user told Windows Latest that they used four PCs on the same day, and only one showed the Harry Potter ad. The other three had a nice view of Bamberg, so not everyone appears to be getting the same wallpaper.”
The fact that the Bing Wallpaper app is now pushing full-size ads to Windows PCs is surprising. Microsoft recently admitted that it has been displaying too many ads in Windows, but the fact that the entire desktop background is being commandeered as a new avenue for marketing was never explicitly announced by Microsoft. (However, if you look at the small print, Microsoft reserves the right to display ads within wallpapers.)
Bing Wallpaper is part of Windows 10 and 11 and facilitates automatic desktop background changes, primarily intended to liven things up and treat users with a new visual image and vibe every day.
