(Credit: learn.microsoft.com)
Microsoft's tactic of injecting ads into its products is sparking new backlash after its Bing Wallpaper app began displaying an intrusive Harry Potter-themed promotion.
The optional app usually picks appealing but innocuous images of travel scenes and animals as daily wallpapers on Windows PC desktops. But on Monday, a few users complained that Bing Wallpaper was pushing an ad after they selected an image of a castle titled Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts 11-Film Collection.
“I have been using Bing Wallpaper happily for years. Today, for the first time, I noticed a hecking ad in place of my wallpaper,” wrote one user on a Thurrott.com forum. “Why this level of nickel and diming. This is atrocious UX, it’s ad over [an] entire screen. For a moment I thought I installed some adware malware.”
The wallpaper seems to be a tie-in to promote the new Harry Potter series, slated to premiere in December on HBO Max, but users are not happy. “Always enjoy the photos but saw this today. Sent feedback and disabled. Harry Potter of all things. WTF,” wrote one Reddit user.
Another user also criticized the company in a Microsoft Learn article, and pointed to Harry Potter author JK Rowling and her controversial views on transgender people. “Why is my Bing wallpaper advertising a transphobic author's films on my desktop?” they wrote. “Will there be more advertisements, and if so, must I uninstall Bing wallpaper now to prevent them, or is there a way to opt out?”
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
So far, Microsoft hasn’t responded to a request for comment. But it’s not a great look for Redmond, given that the company has been vowing to improve Windows 11 partly by decluttering the OS.
About Our Expert
I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.
Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
- PC Game Launcher for Goddess of Victory: Nikke Hacked To Spread Malware
- Miss Small Phones? The 5.3-Inch 'Enough Phone' Will Try To Fill the Void
- Ram Altman? OpenAI's CEO Tries to Defuse Controversial Memory Comments
- US Voters Reject AI Data Centers, Elon Musk Finds Solace in Orbital Alternative
- Got a First-Gen, Circular Starlink Dish? SpaceX to Offer Free Replacement
- More from Michael Kan
