Microsoft is reportedly readying one of the most meaningful Start menu updates since Windows 11 launched in 2021. According to Windows Central, citing people familiar with the plans, the company is developing new customization options that would let you manually pick between a large or small Start menu layout, remove or edit sections like the Recommended feed, and achieve faster, more consistent performance—even when your PC is under heavy strain.

What’s reportedly in the pipeline

The report outlines three core changes that directly address long-standing pain points:

  1. Layout size selection
    Instead of Windows automatically choosing the Start menu size based on your screen and usage, you’ll be able to explicitly toggle between a compact (small) and an expanded (large) layout. This would be a direct setting, not a hidden registry tweak.

  2. Section management
    You’ll reportedly gain the ability to remove or edit entire sections within the Start menu—most notably the Recommended area, which currently surfaces recent files and suggested apps. Today, you can only clear individual items from Recommended; the section itself persists as empty space. The new controls aim to let you reclaim that screen real estate entirely.

  3. Performance hardening
    Microsoft wants the Start menu to feel “much faster and responsive,” per the sources, with a particular focus on maintaining snappy interactions when the CPU, memory, or disk are busy. That means fewer instances of the menu lagging or appearing after a delay during multitasking or background tasks.

No release timeline has been provided, and the features are based on internal plans that could change. But if they land as described, they would mark a clear shift toward user-driven design in one of Windows 11’s most critiqued surfaces.

What it means for you

The impact depends on how you use your PC and which version of Windows you’re on.

  • For everyday users: Simpler personalization. If you find the current Recommended section useless or the auto-sizing layout irritating, you’ll soon be able to tailor the menu to your taste without diving into advanced settings. That translates to less clutter and more room for the apps you actually pin.

  • For power users: A long-overdue restoration of control. Many enthusiasts have relied on third-party tools like Start11 or Open Shell to bend the menu to their will. Native section removal and layout choice could reduce that dependency and deliver a cleaner, officially supported experience.

  • For IT administrators: A double-edged sword. Organizations that enforce a standardized desktop via Group Policy or MDM will need to ensure the new options can be managed centrally. Microsoft will have to provide clear policy controls—locking the Recommended section on shared kiosks, for example—or risk help desk headaches as employees tinker.

In all cases, the promise of better responsiveness under load addresses a universal gripe: a Start menu that stutters or delays when you’re already frustrated by a busy system only multiplies the annoyance.

How we got here

Windows 11’s Start menu has been controversial from day one. Microsoft abandoned the live-tile grid of Windows 10 in favor of a centered, simplified layout with pinned apps on top and a Recommended feed below. The redesign was visually cleaner but stripped away features many users relied on, such as resizable tiles, folders, and granular layout control.

Early feedback was loud: the Recommended section felt like bloatware, the lack of size options felt arbitrary, and performance hiccups—especially on hardware not meeting Windows 11’s strict requirements—soured the experience. Microsoft’s initial response was incremental. The company added a few Settings toggles (like showing fewer recommendations) and restored some taskbar behaviors, but didn’t address the structural rigidity of the Start menu itself.

The pressure only intensified as rivals continued to offer flexibility. macOS allows users to customize the Dock and Launchpad; Linux desktops like KDE Plasma give near-total control over menus; even Windows 10 remains beloved for its adaptable tile grid. By mid-2023, the Windows Insider community and social media were filled with pleas for a true customization pass.

The recovery began with smaller wins. Microsoft improved the search reliability baked into Start, tweaked the arrangement of pinned apps, and made piecemeal adjustments to the Recommended section. But those were patches on a system whose core philosophy—prioritizing a one-size-fits-most aesthetic—remained intact.

This latest leak suggests a more fundamental shift. By allowing users to decide layout size and whether the Recommended section deserves a spot on the screen, Microsoft would be signaling that Windows 11’s Start menu is no longer a fixed canvas but a configurable workspace.

What you can do right now

Because the features are not yet publicly available, there’s no immediate action to take. However, you can prepare in a few ways:

  • Check your Windows Insider settings. Major Start menu changes typically roll out first to the Dev or Beta channels. If you’re comfortable with pre-release software, enrolling your device in the Insider program may give you early access when (and if) these features appear. Note: Insider builds can be unstable; back up your data first.

  • Provide feedback through official channels. Microsoft uses the Feedback Hub to gauge interest and prioritize fixes. Head to the hub, search for existing requests about Start menu customization, and upvote the ones you agree with. Describe your use case—especially if you’re in a corporate or accessibility scenario.

  • Manage expectations. There’s no guarantee that all reported features will ship. History shows that internal Windows experiments can be delayed, split across multiple updates, or altered significantly. Treat the leak as a promising direction, not a finalized feature list.

  • Explore current workarounds cautiously. If you can’t wait, apps like Start11 and Open Shell already offer extensive menu customization. But they aren’t supported by Microsoft, and future Windows updates may break compatibility. Use them at your own risk.

Outlook

Assuming the report is accurate, Microsoft could use the upcoming Windows 11 version 24H2 or a subsequent Moment update to deliver these Start menu improvements. The company often uses the summer and fall months to roll out user-facing refinements, and the timing would align with the broader push to make Windows 11 feel more mature and responsive to community feedback.

However, the real test won’t be whether the options arrive, but how well they integrate. Half-hearted toggles buried in Settings, or performance gains that fade after the first reboot, would only deepen the frustration of users who have waited years for a fix. Microsoft needs to go beyond a checkbox exercise and genuinely rethink how the menu behaves as a daily launcher.

If it succeeds, the Start menu—once Windows 11’s most visible symbol of inflexibility—could become a testament to the platform’s ability to listen and adapt. And for the millions who open that menu dozens of times a day, that’s a change they’ll feel every time they work.