Microsoft Is Planning Big Changes to the Windows 11 Start Menu
The Start menu is your access point to everything on a Windows PC, from files to apps to settings, and it looks like Microsoft is planning a major overhaul of the menu’s interface. The changes were spotted in early test versions of the operating system by tipster @phantomofearth and should eventually roll out to everyone.
As it stands, the Start menu displays a search bar at the top, and then there are two other sections: apps you’ve pinned and recommended links (usually to files you’ve recently opened or apps you’ve recently used). Both of these sections can be expanded with one click to display more programs and files.
The version of the Start menu currently being tested expands the features you can see and directly access. You get pinned apps, recommendations, and then a list of all installed apps—this comprehensive list of apps no longer requires an extra click. This comprehensive list of programs can be displayed as a standard alphabetical list, a grid grouped by app name, or a grid grouped by category (a bit like the App Library in iOS).
Additional customization options available in the revamped Start menu allow you to increase the size of an app’s pinned section and remove the recommended section entirely—neither of these options were previously available. This means a more flexible experience for users and easier access to applications due to the additional screen space.
This tweet is currently unavailable. It may be downloading or has been deleted.
Reaction to the upcoming changes seems to be mostly positive, especially when it comes to faster access to the full Start menu list. You still have a search box at the top of the menu bar, so you can navigate to specific apps if you know what you’re looking for, but the updated approach is more convenient.
There’s no word yet on when everyone will get these changes, but given how significant they are, Microsoft may well wait a while to perfect the new approach to the interface. The version that will eventually be available to everyone may not look like the screenshot I took that you can see at the top of this article.
Testing the new Start menu
Most people will be content to sit back and wait for the new Start menu to officially launch, but if you want to test it out now, it’s not that hard to do. However, keep in mind that this requires beta software and some additional hacking, so do this at your own risk – I wouldn’t recommend doing this on a computer you rely on every day.
First, you’ll need to join the Windows Insider program, which is free: you can do this online here by signing in to the Microsoft account associated with your laptop or desktop. Follow the on-screen instructions, and when you are redirected to the Windows Update section in Windows settings itself, select the beta channel.
You should soon see new updates available to install, which will install the Windows 11 beta on your PC after a reboot or two. However, this new Start menu is not yet enabled in the beta channel, although it was found in the operating system code, so you’ll need to apply some additional tweaks to get it working.
These settings can be applied using a third-party utility called ViVeTool, which you can download here . Once it’s working on your system, click Advanced Options or press F12 and then enable the following features (as per @phantomofearth’s instructions ): 49221331, 47205210, and 49402389. If that doesn’t work, try enabling 48433719 before the other three.
After another restart, you should see a new Start menu, as well as additional options, which you can find by opening Settings and selecting Personalization > Start . If you want, you can turn off all recommended and pinned items and just get the full list of installed apps, which is reminiscent of the old Windows 8 approach.
After spending a few hours testing out the new Start menu, I definitely think it’s more comprehensive, with every app available right away in an interface that doesn’t feel too cluttered or cluttered. The additional customization options are also welcome: I don’t find myself using the Category view much, for example, but it’s easy enough to change.