Microsoft Start is a personalized news and content aggregation service launched by Microsoft in September 2021, offering tailored feeds of news articles, weather updates, sports scores, financial data, and lifestyle information drawn from premium publishers and integrated across web browsers, mobile applications, and Windows operating system features such as Widgets.[1][2] The service emphasizes user customization through interest-based algorithms, enabling access via the Microsoft Start website, dedicated Android and iOS apps, and embedded experiences in Microsoft Edge and Windows 11's taskbar Widgets panel, effectively rebranding and expanding upon predecessors like MSN News to streamline content discovery in a fragmented media landscape.[1][3] While praised for its seamless integration within the Microsoft ecosystem and focus on premium sourced content, Microsoft Start has drawn user criticisms regarding intrusive default integrations, occasional algorithmic biases in feed curation, and challenges in disabling unwanted features like news overlays in browsers or start menus.[4][5][6]
Origins and Predecessors
MSN as Foundation
MSN, originally launched as the Microsoft Network on August 24, 1995, alongside Windows 95, began as a subscription-based dial-up service providing access to email, chat, and early internet content. By 1998, Microsoft had pivoted MSN toward a free web portal model, integrating the underutilized MSN.com domain with Microsoft Internet Start to create a centralized hub for news, search, and multimedia services. This shift positioned MSN as a key player in content aggregation, drawing millions of daily users through partnerships with publishers and curated feeds for topics like headlines, sports, and finance.[7]Over the subsequent decades, MSN evolved its news offerings amid competition from portals like Yahoo and Google, incorporating Bing-powered search in the 2010s and rebranding sections such as Bing News (2012–2014) to MSN News (2014–2018). These iterations emphasized licensed content from third-party sources, with Microsoft handling curation and distribution via MSN.com, which consistently ranked among the world's top-trafficked sites, amassing billions of monthly views. The platform's infrastructure for aggregating and personalizing feeds—relying on editorial teams and algorithmic recommendations—laid the groundwork for later mobile and AI-enhanced experiences, despite criticisms of over-reliance on clickbait-style headlines from partner outlets.[8]Microsoft Start directly inherited this legacy when launched in September 2021 as a rebranded and expanded successor to MSN News and Microsoft News (2018–2021), aiming to simplify and personalize content delivery across web, mobile apps, and Windows integration. Official announcements described Start as building on MSN's long history of consumer services, with enhanced AI-driven feeds that pulled from the same publisher partnerships but prioritized user-selected interests over static curation. This transition repackaged MSN's core aggregation model into a more dynamic format, though it retained dependencies on licensed RSS feeds and editorial oversight, which had been refined over MSN's 25+ years of operation.[1][9]
Transition to Microsoft News
In June 2018, Microsoft rebranded its news aggregation service, previously known as MSN News, to Microsoft News, marking a shift toward a more distinct, publisher-focused content distribution platform.[10][11] This change separated the underlying news engine from the broader MSN portal branding, which had originated in the 1990s as part of Microsoft's dial-up internet service and evolved into a web-based hub for news, weather, and other features.[12] The rebranding coincided with the release of updated mobile apps for Android and iOS on June 20, 2018, emphasizing personalized feeds powered by machine learning algorithms that curated content from licensed publishers.[13]The transition aimed to streamline content licensing and syndication, enabling Microsoft News to power feeds not only on MSN.com but also within integrated Microsoft products such as Edge browser, Outlook, and Skype, reaching an estimated daily audience of over 300 million unique users by aggregating articles from more than 3,000 publishers worldwide.[11][10] Unlike the earlier MSN News model, which relied heavily on direct editorial curation, Microsoft News prioritized algorithmic personalization and revenue-sharing models with publishers, fostering partnerships that distributed content across non-Microsoft platforms as well.[12] This evolution reflected Microsoft's strategic pivot from legacy portal services to a scalable, API-driven news ecosystem, amid growing competition from aggregated feeds like those from Google and Apple News.[11]By decoupling the news service from the MSN brand, Microsoft sought to enhance neutrality and scalability in content delivery, avoiding perceptions of the service being tied to outdated dial-up connotations while expanding its B2B offerings to third-party developers.[13] The platform introduced features like RSS feed integration and topic-based recommendations, laying groundwork for future enhancements in user customization, though early implementations drew some criticism for algorithmic biases favoring partnered publishers.[10] This rebranding solidified Microsoft News as the core engine behind personalized information services, bridging the gap between MSN's foundational role and subsequent iterations like Microsoft Start.[12]
Launch and Evolution
Initial Rollout in 2021
Microsoft Start was announced and began rolling out on September 7, 2021, as a personalized content aggregation service designed to simplify and reinvent user experiences with news, weather, sports, and other information feeds previously associated with MSN.[1][2] The service integrated advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver tailored recommendations from premium publishers, emphasizing user interests and contextual relevance over generic browsing.[1]Initial availability spanned multiple platforms, including a standalone website accessible via Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome browsers, integration as a dedicated tab within the Microsoft Edge browser, and dedicated mobile applications for iOS and Android devices.[1][4] It also extended to Windows 10 and the forthcoming Windows 11 operating systems, positioning Microsoft Start as a cross-device hub for daily information consumption.[14] The rollout aimed to evolve from earlier Microsoft News and MSN offerings by consolidating fragmented content sources into a unified, interest-driven interface without requiring user sign-in for basic access.[2][4]At launch, Microsoft Start prioritized core categories such as news feeds, local weather updates, and sports scores, with personalization enabled through optional Microsoft account linkage to refine content over time based on browsing history and explicit preferences.[1] The service was positioned as an accessible entry point for users seeking curated, high-quality content amid the proliferation of algorithm-driven platforms, drawing on Microsoft's existing publisher partnerships to ensure diverse sourcing.[2] No widespread phased deployment was reported; instead, the initial release emphasized immediate global availability to encourage rapid user adoption and feedback collection.[1]
Post-Launch Updates and Expansions
In March 2024, Microsoft updated the Microsoft Start interface to incorporate elements of Microsoft Copilot, enabling AI-assisted content curation and summaries within the news feed.[15] This integration aimed to enhance personalization by leveraging generative AI for topic recommendations and briefings, though it drew mixed user feedback on relevance and ad intrusiveness.[16]By July 2024, Microsoft discontinued the receipt-scanning feature in the Microsoft Start and Bing apps, which had allowed users to earn Microsoft Rewards cashback by uploading purchase receipts for automated processing.[16] The removal aligned with broader adjustments to the Rewards program amid declining usage and operational costs, affecting an estimated millions of active participants who relied on it for passive earnings.In November 2024, after three years under the Microsoft Start branding, Microsoft reverted its news aggregation services to the legacy MSN name, updating the mobile apps, web portal, and integrations accordingly.[17][18] The decision followed internal reviews indicating stronger user familiarity and preference for MSN, which originated in 1995, over the newer Start moniker introduced in 2021; no expansions in platform availability or publisher partnerships were announced concurrently, signaling a contraction rather than growth phase.[19] This rebrand restored nostalgic elements like the butterfly logo while maintaining core feeds for news, weather, and sports across iOS, Android, and Windows ecosystems.
Core Features
Content Personalization
Microsoft Start utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to curate and rank news content, tailoring feeds to individual user interests, reading habits, and explicit feedback.[20][21] These algorithms process vast datasets from partnered premium publishers, prioritizing relevance over recency or volume to minimize information overload.[1]Upon initial setup, users access a "Personalize" interface to select topics across categories including world news, business, technology, sports, entertainment, health, and lifestyle, with options to add or remove interests via plus or minus icons.[22] Location data further customizes elements such as local weather forecasts, traffic updates, stock quotes, and sports scores, drawing from user-provided or device-detected geolocation.[23]Ongoing refinement occurs through implicit signals like dwell time on articles and explicit inputs, such as thumbs-up or thumbs-down reactions, which adjust the model's predictions for future recommendations.[2] This feedback loop enables the system to evolve preferences dynamically, for instance, promoting investigative journalism if users engage more with in-depth pieces rather than headlines.[24] Users retain control to block specific topics, publishers, or sources, ensuring feeds reflect deliberate choices over algorithmic defaults.[22]The personalization engine integrates with Microsoft's ecosystem, syncing preferences across devices like Windows 11 widgets, Edge browser new tabs, and mobile apps for iOS and Android, launched on September 7, 2021.[1] While effective for engagement, the approach relies on user data collection, including browsing history and interactions, processed via cloud-based models akin to Azure's reinforcement learning frameworks for real-time adaptation.[25]
Available Categories and Feeds
Microsoft Start offers a range of predefined categories enabling users to customize their news consumption. Primary categories encompass News for general headlines, World News for international coverage, Lifestyle covering health and wellness topics, Sports for athletic events and scores, Finance for economic and market updates, Entertainment for media and celebrity news, Video for multimedia content, and Autos for automotive industry developments. These categories form the foundation of topic discovery, where users can select interests to populate their main feed with relevant articles from partnered publishers.[26]Beyond static categories, the platform supports dynamic feeds through user-followed topics, searchable via an integrated bar that allows following niche subjects such as Art or Cinema, which integrate into the personalized stream alongside broader category content. Informational cards supplement these feeds, delivering location-based updates on weather, traffic, stock prices, and live sports results, drawn from verified data sources and refreshed in real-time.[3][27]Feeds emphasize personalization, with algorithms prioritizing followed categories and topics while permitting users to block unfavorable publishers or hide specific stories to refine visibility. This structure, introduced at launch in September 2021, aggregates content from over 1,000 premium publishers, ensuring a mix of editorial curation and machine learning-driven recommendations without user-specified overrides altering core category availability.[1][26]
Cross-Platform Integration
Microsoft Start provides seamless access to personalized news, weather, sports, and other feeds across web browsers, mobile devices, and Windows ecosystems, enabling users to maintain consistent experiences via Microsoft account synchronization. Launched on September 7, 2021, the service includes dedicated applications for Android and iOS, alongside web-based access at start.microsoft.com, allowing content curation and viewing on diverse endpoints.[28][29]Within Windows, Microsoft Start integrates natively through the Widgets board in Windows 11, where users access dynamic feeds directly from the taskbar icon, with personalization tied to signed-in Microsoft accounts for cross-device continuity.[30][31] In Windows 10, it powers the News and Interests feature on the taskbar, offering similar aggregated content streams.[29] Browser integration occurs via Microsoft Edge, with Start-sourced feeds appearing in new tab pages until a rebranding to MSN in November 2024, though underlying functionality persists.[32]This multi-platform approach relies on cloud-based data processing to propagate user preferences, such as selected topics and sources, across sessions without requiring manual reconfiguration, though availability of specific features like widgets remains Windows-exclusive.[31][28]Mobile apps support offline reading of cached content and push notifications for updates, complementing real-time web and desktop access.[29]
Underlying Technology
Algorithms and Data Processing
Microsoft Start utilizes machine learning-based algorithms to personalize content feeds, drawing from foundational techniques established in predecessor services like MSN. These algorithms match user preferences—derived from explicit selections of topics, publishers, and feedback such as likes or disinterest signals—with content features extracted through document understanding processes, including natural language processing for relevance scoring.[33][34]The system processes vast datasets of user interactions, including clicks, dwell time, and browsing history within Microsoft ecosystems like Edge and Windows widgets, to refine recommendations via collaborative and content-based filtering methods akin to those in Azure's recommendation frameworks.[33][35] Content from licensed publishers undergoes real-time ranking that prioritizes timeliness, user alignment, and diversity, with backend services like MicrosoftStartFeedProvider.exe handling feed generation and updates.[36]Data processing adheres to Microsoft's privacy framework, where telemetry on engagements is aggregated and anonymized for model training unless users opt into enhanced personalization via account settings; this includes transmission to Azure cloud services for computation, with controls available to limit data sharing for advertising or diagnostics.[37][38] Specific model details, such as neural network architectures or reinforcement learning components from Azure Personalizer, remain proprietary, but the emphasis is on iterative learning from user signals to optimize engagement without over-reliance on demographic proxies.[39]
Partnerships with Publishers
Microsoft Start aggregates news content through licensing agreements with publishers facilitated by the MSN Partner Hub, where eligible creators and publishers submit RSS or ATOM feeds for automated ingestion into the platform's personalized news feeds.[40][41] These partnerships allow Microsoft to distribute licensed material while publishers retain control over their feeds, subject to compliance with publishing guidelines that enforce editorial standards, proper attribution, and syndication rights for elements like images.[42][43]The platform draws from thousands of premium publishers and creators globally, enabling broad content diversity across categories such as news, entertainment, and lifestyle, with feeds tailored for cross-device access via Microsoft services.[42] Publishers gain exposure to Microsoft's user base, potentially monetizing through ad revenue sharing and reader support mechanisms like Cheer icons, though inclusion requires vetting to maintain quality and avoid prohibited content such as misinformation or sensationalism.[40][44]For specialized content like video, the MSN Partner Directory lists vetted partners who supply high-quality material under similar licensing terms, ensuring seamless integration into Start's ecosystem.[45] Launched alongside Microsoft Start in September 2021, these arrangements prioritize premium, curated sources to support user personalization without direct payments from publishers for placement, relying instead on mutual benefits from traffic and visibility.[1]
Reception and Analysis
User Adoption Metrics
Microsoft reported nearly 500 million monthly active users for Microsoft Start as of April 2022, during its fiscal third-quarter earnings announcement.[46][47][48] This figure reflected strong early engagement following the platform's rebranding and rollout in September 2021, primarily driven by integration as the default personalized feed in Microsoft Edge and availability across mobile apps and the web. The metric encompassed users interacting with the feed for news, weather, and customized content, though Microsoft did not publicly define "active" precisely at the time beyond general usage thresholds.[46]Subsequent public updates on Microsoft Start's user base have been limited, with no disclosed figures for monthly active users in fiscal years 2023 through 2025 in earnings reports or official communications.[49][50] Adoption appears sustained through ecosystem ties, such as Edge's browser market share growth to approximately 5.5% globally by mid-2025, where Start serves as the prominent new-tab experience, but direct attribution remains unquantified. Independent app analytics for Microsoft Start's iOS and Android versions show steady but modest download volumes, with over 10 million installs reported on Google Play as of 2024, reflecting supplementary rather than primary access via browsers.[51]Overall, the 2022 peak metric underscores initial rapid scaling, likely bolstered by pre-existing MSN user habits and cross-promotion within Windows and Office ecosystems, yet the absence of refreshed data suggests stabilization without aggressive expansion reporting.
Strengths and Achievements
Microsoft Start excels in content curation through aggregation from over 1,000 premium publishers worldwide, ensuring access to high-quality, diverse news sources that prioritize journalistic standards over algorithmic virality.[1] This approach builds on the established ecosystem of MSN, which has delivered news for 25 years, allowing Start to leverage vetted partnerships for reliable, non-sensationalized reporting.[1]A core strength lies in its AI-driven personalization, utilizing machine learning to tailor feeds based on user-selected interests, reading history, and explicit preferences managed via an intuitive "Personalize" interface.[1] This reduces information overload by surfacing relevant articles, alongside practical information cards for weather, finance, sports, and traffic, which adapt to location and habits.[1] Cross-device synchronization via Microsoft accounts further enhances usability, maintaining consistent experiences across Windows PCs, Edge browser new tabs, mobile apps on iOS and Android, and Windows 11 Widgets.[1]Achievements include its September 7, 2021 launch as a comprehensive reimagining of personalized news delivery, rapidly expanding availability to web, desktop, and mobile platforms to meet user demands for streamlined access—addressing Forrester research indicating average daily online time of seven hours across six feeds checked five times per day.[1] The Android app has garnered a 4.4-star rating from 294,447 reviews on Google Play as of recent data, reflecting robust user approval for its productivity tools and real-time updates.[52] These elements position Start as an effective aggregator within Microsoft's ecosystem, emphasizing empirical user-centric design over fragmented alternatives.[2]
Criticisms Including Bias and Privacy
Microsoft Start has faced criticism for perceived biases in its news curation algorithms, which prioritize content based on user interactions, engagement metrics, and partnerships with publishers. Media Bias/Fact Check rates MSN News, the underlying service powering Microsoft Start, as strongly Left-Center biased due to sourcing from left-leaning outlets, though it scores high for factual reporting. Ad Fontes Media assigns MSN a slight left bias score of -3.64 on a scale where negative values indicate left-leaning tendencies, based on analysis of article reliability and partisanship. User reports on Microsoft forums highlight inconsistencies, with some alleging overrepresentation of right-wing tabloid content or low-credibility sources like "Princess Free Zone," while others decry extreme partisan commentary in feeds. These discrepancies stem from algorithmic reliance on clickbait and sensationalism, as evidenced by a 2023 CNN investigation into Microsoft's shift toward AI-driven curation over human editors, which resulted in errors like mismatched headlines and automated polls insensitive to context, such as one appearing alongside a story on a child's death in Gaza.[53][54][55][6]Critics argue that such algorithms exacerbate polarization by amplifying engaging but divisive content, similar to findings on news aggregators like Bing News, where 61% of outlets in top feeds leaned left in analyses of U.S. election coverage. Microsoft's opaque personalization, which infers interests from browsing history and telemetry, can entrench users in echo chambers without transparent bias mitigation, as noted in broader studies on AI in journalism where training data inherits human prejudices from source publishers. While Microsoft allows users to follow or mute topics and sources, the default feeds often default to high-engagement, low-substance articles, prompting accusations of prioritizing ad revenue over journalistic balance.[56][57]On privacy, Microsoft Start collects user data including interaction frequency, viewed articles, and inferred preferences to tailor feeds, as outlined in Microsoft's Privacy Statement updated as of 2023. This telemetry feeds into broader Microsoft ecosystem profiling, raising concerns over insufficient granular controls and potential for data sharing with advertisers or partners, despite opt-out options via privacy dashboards. A 2024 eWeek report on Microsoft's AI features highlighted related scraping practices in productivity tools, underscoring systemic issues with unprompted data harvesting that could extend to news personalization without explicit consent prompts. Critics, including privacy advocates, point to Microsoft's history of expansive diagnostic data collection—enabled by default in Windows settings—as eroding user trust, with limited evidence of anonymization preventing re-identification in aggregated feeds.[37][58][59]
Business and Strategic Role
Monetization Strategies
Microsoft Start primarily monetizes through integrated advertising, displaying sponsored content, native ads, and display advertisements within its personalized news feeds on platforms including the Microsoft Edge browser, Bing homepage, and the dedicated mobile app. These ads are served via the Microsoft Advertising network, targeting users based on browsing behavior and interests to maximize relevance and engagement. This model avoids user subscriptions or paywalls, relying instead on high-volume traffic to generate ad impressions and clicks, which form a key component of Microsoft's broader search and news advertising revenue stream. In fiscal year 2025 quarter 2, Microsoft's search and news ad revenues grew 21% year-over-year, reflecting strong performance partly attributable to feeds like Start.[60]Publishers partnering with Microsoft through content syndication programs, such as the MSN Partner Hub, receive a revenue share from ads displayed alongside their distributed articles in Start feeds. This incentivizes high-quality content submission, with earnings tied to metrics like views, engagement, and ad performance rather than flat fees. For instance, approved creators can monetize immediately upon integration, benefiting from Microsoft's built-in audience without minimum traffic thresholds. Such arrangements have enabled instant revenue potential for partners, contrasting with platforms requiring audience buildup for eligibility.[61][62]Cross-promotion within the Microsoft ecosystem further bolsters indirect monetization by driving traffic to higher-revenue services like Bing search ads and Edge extensions. While specific revenue breakdowns for Start are not publicly disclosed, its role in funneling users to these integrated ad ecosystems contributes to Microsoft Advertising's overall expansion, projected to reach $19.53 billion in 2026. No evidence indicates alternative strategies like premium tiers or datasales as primary revenue sources for Start itself.[63]
Position in Microsoft Ecosystem
Microsoft Start functions as a core component of Microsoft's consumer-facing digital experience layer, delivering personalized news, weather, finance, sports, and other content feeds that integrate directly into flagship products such as the Windows operating system and Microsoft Edge browser. Introduced on September 7, 2021, it powers the dynamic content in Windows 11's Widgets board, which provides at-a-glance updates accessible via a dedicated taskbar icon or Windows key + W shortcut, and extends to Windows 10's News and Interests feature on the taskbar for similar real-time personalization.[1] This positioning leverages Microsoft's account synchronization to maintain consistent user preferences across devices, thereby reinforcing ecosystem lock-in by embedding Start's feeds as default entry points for daily information consumption.[1]Within Microsoft Edge, Start serves as the default content for the new tab page, where it aggregates tailored articles from over 1,000 premium publishers using AI-driven recommendations combined with human moderation, enhancing browser retention and funneling users toward Bing-powered searches for deeper exploration.[1][64] This integration aligns with Edge's role as Microsoft's primary web gateway, where Start's immersive cards and topic-based curation complement features like Copilot AI assistance, contributing to a unified content-to-search-to-productivity workflow that ties into Microsoft 365 apps.[1]As an evolution of predecessors like MSN and Microsoft News, Start's ecosystem placement underscores Microsoft's strategy to centralize personalized media delivery, competing with rivals such as Google Discover while bolstering ad revenue potential through native partnerships and cross-platform availability on iOS, Android, and the web via MicrosoftStart.com.[1] Its reliance on Microsoft accounts for cross-device syncing further embeds it within the broader identity and cloud infrastructure, including Azure for backend processing, positioning it as a retention tool that bridges informational services with core productivity and search offerings.[1]