Microsoft today launches Microsoft Start, a custom news channel that integrates with Windows 11 and is accessible online and on iOS and Android. Microsoft Start is very similar to the MSN feed that exists today and to Microsoft News. Microsoft changes them back to Microsoft Start and integrates the feed into the Windows 11 widgets section and the Windows 10 taskbar.
Like Microsoft News, Microsoft Start includes news and media channels from more than 1,000 publishers. Microsoft uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to rank the news presented to users and customize the content based on interests and how you interact with the content. There’s also a bit of “human moderation” involved, but Microsoft fired dozens of journalists and editorial workers at its Microsoft News and MSN organizations last year, so it’s clear the involvement of publishers.
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Microsoft Start will show featured stories, custom recommendations, and sports or weather results in your feed. It’s the combination of Microsoft’s efforts in recent years with MSN, Microsoft News, and the Windows 10 taskbar widget. MSN won’t disappear, but Microsoft Start will be the new brand of Microsoft News.
The standalone website, MicrosoftStart.com, will be accessible from all modern web browsers, and mobile versions of Microsoft News will be switched to Microsoft Start. Once Windows 11 launches next month, Microsoft Start will also be available as a widget from the dedicated section of the new operating system. Microsoft Edge will also include a Microsoft Start feed in the new tab.
If you’re interested in trying out Microsoft Start, it’s available online right now or through iOS and Android mobile apps.