Start Menu
The latest Start Menu coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Microsoft Sneaks Copilot Promotions into Windows 11 Start Menu, Fueling Ad Backlash
Microsoft has begun testing AI-powered Copilot promotions directly inside the Windows 11 Start menu’s Recommended area, the latest in a series of moves that increasingly treat core OS surfaces as...
Windows 11’s Centered Taskbar and Open Store Bet: Why Game Devs Won’t Get the Full Payout
Microsoft’s Windows 11 debut reframed the desktop as a mobile‑first, touch‑aware platform – and it made a bold promise to developers: bring your own payment system and keep every cent you...
Windows 11's New Start Menu on Windows 10: Why Users Demand It and Why It's Not Easy
When Microsoft unveiled Windows 10X in 2019 with its streamlined, Fluent Design Start menu, enthusiasts immediately clamored for the interface to land on standard Windows 10. That demand never fully...
Windows 11 Beta 22635 Tests Category and Grid Start Menu Alongside Drag-to-Share Tray
Microsoft's latest Insider build for Windows 11, 22635.4950 (KB5052078), delivers a two-pronged productivity upgrade: a redesigned Start menu with app grouping and a new drag-to-share tray that...
Microsoft Tests Copilot Promotions in Windows 11 Start Menu Amid Paid AI Push
Microsoft is testing a plan to surface Copilot recommendations directly inside the Windows 11 Start menu, according to code found in recent Insider preview builds. The changes, first spotted by...
Unlock Windows 11’s Hidden Productivity Settings and Take Control of Copilot
A left-aligned Taskbar, a decluttered Start menu, and one keyboard shortcut could save you dozens of clicks a day—Windows 11 is packed with these kinds of productivity gems, if you know where to...
Windows 11 25H2: Polished Context Menus, Smoother Taskbar, and AI Search Roll Out in Preview
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider previews for the upcoming 25H2 release are taking a scalpel to the everyday Windows interface, carving out a noticeably more polished and productive...
Windows 11 Insider Build 26200.5751 Delivers Freeform Selection and App-Window Recording
Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5751 (KB5064071) to the Dev Channel on August 15, 2025, unleashing a set of AI-powered selection and recording tools that blur the line...
Click to Do Just Got a Major Upgrade: Windows 11 Build 26120.5751 Adds Freeform and Multi-Select
Microsoft’s latest Beta Channel flight, Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5751 (KB5064071), delivers a trio of long‑overdue selection modes to Click to Do, the AI‑powered action bar that...
Windows 11 Setup’s Blind Spot: 7 Crucial Settings Buried Behind Ads
Windows 11’s out-of-box experience has morphed into a marketing funnel—but it doesn’t have to be. The first hour with a new PC should be a promising start, not a gauntlet of promotional tiles...
Six Classic OS Lessons That Could Make Windows 11 Faster, More Predictable, and User-Friendly
Microsoft’s Windows 11 is modern, secure, and visually refined—but it still carries trade‑offs that older operating systems solved more elegantly. A deep dive into six classic systems reveals...
Windows 11 Insider Builds Introduce Start Menu Phone Hub, Settings Overhaul, and Share Pinning
Microsoft shipped five Insider builds across the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels during the first two weeks of August 2025, each delivering targeted refinements that push Windows 11 further toward a...