Microsoft has just given Windows 11 testers exactly what they’ve been demanding for years: a Start menu that bends to their will. A new Insider preview build (from the Dev Channel, June 2026) introduces radical customization options that let you strip the menu down to its bare essentials or expand it into a sprawling app launcher. The three core sections—Pinned, Recommended/Recent, and All apps—each get independent visibility toggles. And for the first time, the Start menu behaves like a regular window, with drag handles letting you resize it horizontally and vertically on the fly.

The build landed quietly late last week for Dev Channel Insiders, but word spread fast when users noticed new toggles under Settings > Personalization > Start. Three checkboxes now appear: Show Pinned apps, Show Recommended, and Show All apps list. Uncheck one, and that section vanishes instantly—no restart, no fuss. Even better, the menu automatically shrinks to fit the remaining content, eliminating the awkward empty spaces that plagued earlier versions. Combine this with a new border-drag resize capability, and you can craft a Start menu that’s as imposing or invisible as you like.

A cleaner Start menu at last

Since Windows 11’s launch, the Start menu has been a battleground. Microsoft replaced the live tiles with a static grid of pinned icons and a “Recommended” area that surfaces recent files and apps. The Recommended section couldn’t be fully disabled—you could hide recent files partially, but not the entire panel. For users who value privacy or just prefer a minimalist launcher, that forced bloat was a dealbreaker. Now, unchecking “Show Recommended” wipes the slate clean. No more accidentally exposing sensitive documents on a shared screen. No more mental clutter from seeing files you’d rather forget.

But the cleanup goes deeper. Hiding all three sections transforms the Start menu into a floating search box—reminiscent of Windows 10’s compact mode, but even leaner. You can still access your full app list by typing in the search bar, or summon the All apps view with a keyboard shortcut. Power users who rely entirely on search or third-party launchers will finally have a Start menu that stays out of the way.

Section-by-section control

Let’s break down what each toggle does:

  • Show Pinned apps: Disabling this removes the grid of pinned applications entirely. If you prefer to launch apps from the taskbar, desktop, or a launcher like PowerToys Run, you can reclaim that space. When re-enabled, your pinned layout returns exactly as you left it—pins are preserved, not discarded.
  • Show Recommended: This toggles the bottom half of the Start menu, which normally displays recent files, recently added apps, and more. Hiding it boosts privacy significantly; no amount of “Show recently opened items” tweaking could previously achieve a completely empty Recommended zone.
  • Show All apps list: By default, the All apps list appears as a scrollable vertical list when you click “All apps” in the upper-right corner. Disabling this toggle removes that entry point entirely. You can still access the full list by pressing the Any key search shortcut or by configuring the Start menu to show All apps by default (another legacy option).

These toggles are independent, so you can mix and match. Want only Pinned apps? Uncheck the other two. Need just the alphabetical app list? Uncheck Pinned and Recommended. The possibilities are extensive, and early testing suggests zero performance hit—the transitions are smooth even on older hardware.

Dynamic resizing: a window, not a static panel

The Start menu has always had a fixed width and height, barely adjustable beyond a couple of preset columns. That changes with this build. Now, when you hover over the right or bottom edge of the Start menu, your cursor turns into a double-sided arrow. Drag to expand or shrink the menu horizontally, vertically, or both. The content inside rearranges responsively: pinned icons reflow into more or fewer columns, the Recommended section scales its list, and the All apps view adjusts its column width.

This isn’t just cosmetic. It lets you optimize the menu for different workflows. A programmer might make the menu tall and thin, showing dozens of pinned apps in a compact list. A touch-screen user can stretch it to fill more of the display, making targets easier to tap. And if you hide all sections except the search box, you can resize the entire menu down to a tiny floating bar that sits unobtrusively in the corner.

Notably, the resize respects the new section toggles. If you hide Recommended, the menu doesn’t leave a blank area you have to shrink manually—it already collapses. But you can still resize within the remaining content boundaries.

Privacy and productivity go hand in hand

For many, the Recommended section was the biggest privacy leak in the Start menu. It often displayed recently opened files—PDFs, spreadsheets, photos—without asking. The “Show recently opened items in Jump Lists and File Explorer” setting offered limited control; some files still seeped through via cloud activity or app recommendations. Now, unchecking “Show Recommended” nukes the entire panel, ensuring zero inadvertent data exposure.

Corporate users will welcome this. IT admins can now deploy Start menu configurations that fully suppress the Recommended area via Group Policy or MDM, without hacky registry workarounds. Remote workers sharing screens on video calls can toggle off Recommended before presenting, then turn it back on later—no digging through settings each time.

From a productivity angle, reducing visual noise helps focus. If you only use the Start menu to search, removing pinned and recommended sections turns it into a straightforward command palette. This aligns with Microsoft’s broader push toward keyboard-first navigation and AI-powered search.

How to get the new Start menu

These features are currently exclusive to the Windows Insider Dev Channel. To try them:

  1. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program.
  2. Enroll your device in the Dev Channel. (Be aware: Dev builds are less stable than Beta or Release Preview.)
  3. Check for updates and install the latest build. The specific build number from June 2026 hasn’t been officially documented yet, but insiders report build 26000.1000 or higher carries the change.
  4. After installation, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start to find the toggles.

If you don’t see the options immediately, restart the Start menu process via Task Manager or reboot. Microsoft often rolls out features gradually via staged rollout, so patience may be required.

Remember: Insider builds can contain bugs. Don’t install them on your primary machine unless you’re comfortable troubleshooting. Features may also change or disappear before reaching the Stable channel.

Community reaction: overwhelmingly positive, with a few gripes

Early reactions on Windows forums and social media have been ecstatic. “Finally, the Start menu I’ve wanted since Windows 10,” wrote one tester on Reddit. “No more Recommended tabs, no more clutter. It’s perfect.” Another user highlighted the privacy angle: “I can now open my laptop in a meeting without worrying what’s in the Start menu.”

Some concerns do exist. A handful of Insiders note that hiding All apps makes it harder to discover newly installed software if you’re not a search-first user. Others wish the toggles could be assigned to keyboard shortcuts or quick actions. And a few report minor layout glitches when resizing the menu to extreme dimensions—icons sometimes overlapping or the Recommended list failing to repopulate correctly when toggled off and on rapidly.

But overall sentiment suggests this is one of the most requested and well-received changes in the Insider program’s history. It reflects a broader trend in Windows 11’s evolution: Microsoft is gradually dismantling the opinionated design decisions that alienated power users at launch.

What’s next for the Start menu?

This build hints at further customization on the horizon. References found in the code suggest Microsoft is experimenting with:

  • Folders for pinned apps: Grouping apps into expandable folders, similar to iOS/Android.
  • Custom backgrounds: Applying acrylic or image-based backgrounds behind the Start menu.
  • Widget integration: Optionally pinning small widget panels (weather, calendar) inside the menu.
  • More layout presets: A “Compact” mode that reduces padding, and a “Full-screen” mode that transforms the menu into a launcher akin to Windows 8.1’s Start screen.

None of these are confirmed, but the new section toggles and resizing framework lay the groundwork. With the Windows 11 24H2 update expected later this year, these Start menu enhancements could ship to all users within months. For now, Insiders have the exclusive chance to shape the feature through feedback.

The bigger picture: Windows gets personal

This isn’t just a Start menu tweak. It’s a signal that Microsoft’s design philosophy is shifting. Where Windows 11 initially locked down the interface in the name of simplicity, the latest builds empower users to define their own workflow. From customizable taskbar badge indicators to the upcoming ability to hide the news feed from Widgets, 2026 is shaping up to be the year Windows 11 truly becomes “your” OS.

The Start menu overhaul stands at the center of that transformation. By giving every user—from casual home users to IT admins—the tools to hide, resize, and rearrange, Microsoft is acknowledging that one size doesn’t fit all. And if Insiders’ cheers are any indication, they’ve finally gotten it right.