Start Menu Customization
The latest Start Menu Customization coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Start11 in 2026: The Indispensable Customizer for Windows 11’s Start Menu and Taskbar
In July 2026, Windows 11 users are still grappling with the same limited personalization options that shipped with the OS nearly five years ago. Despite minor tweaks in recent feature updates,...
Microsoft Begins Rollout of New Start Menu for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 in July 2026
Microsoft confirmed today that the redesigned Start menu for Windows 11, first teased in early 2025, will begin rolling out to devices running version 24H2 and 25H2 starting with the July 2026 Patch...
Windows 11 Insider Build Unlocks Full Start Menu Customization: Hide Any Section, Resize Freely
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)...
Windows 11 Build 26300.8553: Modular Start Menu, New Privacy Dashboard, Smarter Search
Microsoft has pushed Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 to the Experimental Channel, delivering a highly anticipated modular Start menu, beefed-up privacy tools, and a smarter search...
Windows 11 May 2026 test build adds resizable Start, hides sections, moves taskbar anywhere
Windows Insiders in Microsoft's Experimental channel are now testing a trio of long-requested personalization features that could dramatically reshape the Windows 11 desktop experience. According to...
How to Master Windows 11 Start Menu Customization: Pins, Recommendations, Folders, and Privacy
Windows 11's Start menu is no longer the static launcher of yesteryear. With the latest updates, users can now tailor it to their workflow through a handful of settings nestled in the Personalization...
Windows 11 2026 Update Lets You Resize Start Menu & Kill Recommended Section
Microsoft is preparing to hand Windows 11 users the customization keys they've demanded since launch: the ability to freely resize the Start menu and eliminate the contentious Recommended section....
Open-Shell, ExplorerPatcher, Windhawk restore Windows 11 25H2 Start menu
The Problem: Microsoft's 25H2 Start Menu Overhaul Windows 11's 25H2 update introduced a redesigned Start menu that has left many users frustrated. The new layout removes the ability to show recently...
Windows 11 Start Menu Overhaul: Microsoft Tests Flexible Layouts and Performance Improvements
Microsoft is testing significant changes to the Windows 11 Start menu that could address long-standing user complaints about rigidity and performance. The upcoming redesign focuses on flexibility,...
Windows 11 25H2 Start Menu Size Controversy: How Windhawk Restores Compact Layout
Microsoft's Windows 11 25H2 update has transformed the Start menu into a significantly larger interface, removing the compact layout that many power users relied on for efficient navigation. The...
Windows 11 Start Menu Redesign Sparks User Backlash Over Control and Customization
Microsoft's latest Windows 11 Start menu redesign has arrived in preview form, and the reaction from long-time users is loud, highly polarized, and focused less on aesthetics than on control. The new...
How to Clean Windows 11 Start Menu: Remove Recommended & All Apps for Better Performance
The Windows 11 Start Menu has evolved significantly from its predecessors, introducing a centered design and new sections like "Recommended" and "All apps." While Microsoft designed these features to...