Microsoft’s November 2025 update has landed with a Start menu redesign that users immediately noticed—not for its features, but its size. Early testing shows the new single-pane launcher occupies up to 90% of the vertical space on a 14-inch 1080p laptop, a dramatic jump from the roughly 50-60% footprint of its predecessor. The KB5068861 cumulative update (builds 26200.7171 for 25H2, 26100.7171 for 24H2) merges pinned apps, recommendations, and the all apps list into one scrollable surface. It’s a bold attempt to simplify app access, but on smaller screens, many users are asking: how do I make it smaller?
What’s Actually New in the Start Menu
Gone is the two-page system that required a separate click for “All apps.” Instead, everything lives in a single, vertically scrollable panel. You’ll find pinned apps at the top, an optional (and now fully hideable) Recommended section below them, and then the entire app library accessible by scrolling down.
Microsoft added three ways to view your apps:
- Category view: Apps are automatically grouped into buckets like Productivity, Entertainment, and Utilities. Frequently used items float to the top of each group. This is the default.
- Grid view: A dense tile grid sorted alphabetically, ideal for scanning on wider screens.
- List view: A compact A–Z list for keyboard-centric users.
A new Phone Link icon sits next to the search field, expanding a sidebar panel for calls, messages, photos, and continuity actions from a paired Android or iOS device. This feature is rolling out progressively and may not appear in all regions immediately.
Microsoft says the layout adapts to screen size and resolution. On larger monitors you’ll see up to 8 columns of pins, 4 category columns, and 6 recommended items. On smaller devices, those numbers drop to 6, 3, and 4, respectively. In practice, however, the adaptive logic does not prevent the Start menu from becoming overwhelmingly tall on common laptops. Windows Latest confirmed on a 14-inch 1920×1080 screen at 100% scaling that the menu stretches nearly edge to edge vertically. Even removing pinned rows or switching views doesn’t shrink the height—you’re left with empty white space below your apps.
How the New Start Affects You
For everyday users
If you use a 14-inch or smaller laptop at standard scaling, the new Start will likely feel too big. The upside: finding an app now requires fewer clicks, and the Category view surfaces frequently used tools faster. You can also finally banish the Recommended feed entirely—go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off “Show recently added apps,” “Show most used apps,” and “Show recommended files.” This eliminates that section, but won’t reduce the menu’s height; you’ll just see more app list.
For power users and enthusiasts
The single-surface design streamlines app discovery, and the choice of views accommodates different workflows. List view, in particular, remains efficient for keyboard shortcuts. However, the inability to resize the menu or anchor it to the side (as you could in Windows 10) will sting. Advanced users can force-enable or toggle features with community tools like ViVeTool, but this is unsupported and comes with stability risks.
For IT administrators
The rollout uses server-side gating, meaning two identically patched machines may show different Start behavior until Microsoft flips the switch for everyone. This inconsistency will plague help desks. Organizations that enforce Start layouts via Group Policy or Intune must test the new structure before broad deployment; existing policies may not fully account for the merged surface. There is no supported rollback once the new Start is activated—uninstalling the cumulative update is the nuclear option.
For accessibility users
Muscle memory built around the old two-page flow is now broken. Screen readers must re-parse a larger, scrollable region, and keyboard navigation patterns have changed. Accessibility testing across Category, Grid, and List views is essential before relying on the new design in an assistive technology stack.
How We Got Here: The Road to a Bigger Start
The Start menu has been a touchpoint of user frustration since Windows 11 shipped in 2021. The centered, grid-based launcher replaced Windows 10’s resizable, tile-packed hub, and many complained about the extra click to reach all apps. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Microsoft teased a redesign through Insider builds, promising better discoverability and more layout options.
The November 12, 2025 cumulative update KB5068861 finally delivered the overhaul. Microsoft documented the changes in its support bulletin, describing the unified surface and the Category/Grid/List views as improvements bundled from a prior optional preview. The bits are delivered via Windows Update, but the company uses a controlled feature rollout (CFR) to enable the new experience gradually. This explains why some fully patched machines still show the old Start—Microsoft’s servers haven’t turned on the flag yet.
5 Steps to Reclaim Your Screen Real Estate
If the new Start menu dominates your display, try these fixes—ordered from safest to most advanced.
- Verify your build. Press Windows+R, type
winver, and confirm you have OS build 26200.7171 (25H2) or 26100.7171 (24H2). If not, install KB5068861 via Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog. Note that installing the update may not immediately change your Start; the feature could still be gated server-side. - Hide the Recommended section. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start and disable all toggles under “Show recently added apps,” “Show most used apps,” and “Show recommended files.” This collapses the feed, giving your app list more room (though the menu’s total height won’t shrink).
- Switch to List view. Open Start, click the gear icon (or go to Settings > Personalization > Start), and select “List view.” This presents apps in a compact A–Z list that feels less overwhelming than the Category or Grid layouts.
- Experiment with display scaling and text size. Navigate to Settings > System > Display and try a higher scaling percentage (e.g., 125% or 150%) to alter how UI elements and text size interact with the adaptive layout. Then visit Settings > Accessibility > Text size to fine-tune legibility without further enlarging UI elements. On a 4K screen, 150% or 175% scaling often makes the Start appear relatively smaller. Note: these changes are system-wide, so test to find the best compromise for your workflow.
- Use a higher-resolution monitor. If you can switch to a 27-inch 4K display or an equivalent high-DPI setup, the Start menu occupies a much smaller percentage of the screen. At 4K with 150% scaling, it drops to roughly 60% of vertical space.
For IT pros: pilot the update on representative hardware and validate that your Start layout policies still function as intended. Plan for help desk calls about the inconsistent rollout. Advanced users who absolutely must force the new experience (or revert it) can consult community guides for tools like ViVeTool, but proceed at your own risk—neither Microsoft nor this publication supports those hacks.
What’s Next for the Start Menu?
Microsoft rarely walks back major UX overhauls, but it does iterate. The surge of feedback about the Start menu’s size on small laptops is already visible in forums and social media. The company may tweak the default density or add a “compact” toggle in a future release, as it has done with other Windows 11 elements. For now, the adaptive layout logic is fixed, and server-side gating means not everyone is seeing the same thing. If the current size drives you up the wall, the steps above are your best bet until Microsoft ships tuning updates. Keep an eye on the Windows Insider builds for early signs of adjustment.