Microsoft’s Windows 11 Start Menu redesign is rolling out now, and for once, the company actually listened to what users complained about for four years. The unified single-page scrollable layout combines pinned apps, all apps, and recommended files into one cohesive flow instead of forcing users to hunt through separate sections and endless scrolling.
Key Takeaways
- Windows 11 Start Menu redesign rolled out November 11, 2025 via Patch Tuesday update and Insider channels.
- New unified layout integrates pinned apps, all apps (in three view modes), and recommended content on one scrollable page.
- Recommended section can be completely hidden by disabling all recommended settings.
- Menu adapts to screen size and scaling, with persistent view preferences for pins and all apps sections.
- Phone integration blends mobile content like WhatsApp photos and Android to-dos directly into the Start menu.
What Changed: A Start Menu That Actually Breathes
The original Windows 11 Start Menu cramped everything into a small, fixed window with separate sections that felt cramped and disconnected. Users complained about the mandatory recommended section cluttering the view, the buried all apps button requiring extra clicks, and the marathon scrolling needed to find anything beyond the top-level suggestions. Microsoft’s design team spent over 300 Windows 11 users in unmoderated studies and dozens in live co-creation calls—tracking eye movements with heat maps and scroll wheel counts—to understand exactly what frustrated people.
The Windows 11 Start Menu redesign answers those complaints directly. All apps now sit at the top level, accessible in three distinct views: alphabetical list, grid, or category mode that prioritizes your most-used applications like a smartphone interface. The menu itself grows larger on bigger screens and shrinks on smaller ones, adapting to your display instead of forcing a one-size-fits-none approach. Sections expand and collapse on demand, and the system remembers your last-used view—if you prefer the category grid, it stays that way.
The Recommended Section: Finally Optional
One of the biggest complaints about Windows 11 was the intrusive recommended section showing recently added apps, frequently used apps, and recently opened files whether you wanted them or not. The Windows 11 Start Menu redesign lets you turn off all recommended settings entirely, and when you do, that section vanishes completely. It’s a simple change that should have existed from day one, but at least it’s here now.
Microsoft’s design philosophy for this update was explicit: honor the icon, respect three decades of muscle memory, update don’t upend. The core visual language stays recognizable so users aren’t disoriented, but the underlying structure is fundamentally more flexible and user-controlled than before.
How to Enable the Windows 11 Start Menu Redesign
The redesign is available now for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 via the November 11, 2025 Patch Tuesday update and rolling out through the Windows Insider program (Dev and Beta channels). If you want to enable it early via ViVeTool, run Command Prompt as administrator and navigate to the ViVeTool folder to unlock the feature ahead of the general rollout.
Once active, customization is straightforward. To hide the recommended section entirely, open Start settings and disable all recommended options—recently added apps, frequently used apps, and recently opened files. To pin a folder directly to Start, open File Explorer, right-click the folder, and select Pin to Start. Pin websites the same way: open Microsoft Edge, navigate to the site, select More options menu, then More tools, then Pin to Start.
You can also add folder shortcuts next to the power button by going to Settings > Personalization > Start > Choose which folders appear on Start, then toggling on the folders you want quick access to. The All apps section remembers your preferred view mode—switch between list, grid, or category, and it stays locked to your choice.
Phone Integration and Personalization
One feature that sets this redesign apart is phone integration. A phone panel attaches to the Start menu, blending mobile content directly into your Windows experience—WhatsApp photos and to-do items from Android devices, messages from iPhones, and other phone-specific content appear right alongside your pinned Windows apps. This bridges the gap between your phone and PC in a way the old Start menu never attempted.
The personalization options go deeper than before. You can expand or collapse individual sections, pin apps, files, folders, and websites, and choose which folder shortcuts appear next to the power button. One notable removal: the layout change option that existed in the original Windows 11 Start settings is gone. The new design is now fixed to the divided sections (Recommended, All, Other), so you can’t toggle back to a completely different layout style.
How Does This Compare to Windows 10?
Windows 10’s Start Menu was a fixed-size window with a separate All apps button that many users preferred for its predictability. The new Windows 11 Start Menu redesign is larger and more flexible, but some users still miss the old fixed-size option and the distinct All apps button as a separate control. If you scale your display to 150%, the new menu visually resembles the Windows 10 approach but limits you to two rows of pinned icons instead of the full customization Windows 10 offered. It’s a compromise—more modern and adaptive, but not a return to the fixed-size simplicity some users wanted.
Why This Matters Now
The Windows 11 Start Menu redesign is significant because it shows Microsoft actually iterating based on user feedback instead of shipping a feature and abandoning it. Four years of complaints, Insider testing, eye-tracking studies, and live co-creation sessions culminated in a tangible overhaul. The company’s design team reflected on the Start menu’s 30-year history and asked how to honor that legacy while letting it breathe in 2025. That’s the opposite of the tone-deaf design decisions that frustrated Windows 11 users at launch.
FAQ: Windows 11 Start Menu Redesign
Can I hide the recommended section completely in the Windows 11 Start Menu redesign?
Yes. Go to Start settings, turn off all recommended settings (recently added apps, frequently used apps, recently opened files), and the recommended section disappears entirely. It’s a full hide, not just a collapse.
Does the Windows 11 Start Menu redesign work on all Windows 11 versions?
The redesign is available on Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 via the November 11, 2025 Patch Tuesday update. Older versions won’t receive it unless you update to one of these builds.
How do I switch between list, grid, and category views in the All apps section?
Open the All apps section and select your preferred view—Category (prioritizes most-used apps), Grid, or List (A-Z). The Start menu remembers your choice and keeps that view active next time you open it.
The Windows 11 Start Menu redesign proves that listening to users and iterating over four years can produce something genuinely better. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s the kind of thoughtful refinement that makes daily computing less frustrating. If you’ve been waiting for Windows 11 to feel less like a beta test, this update is finally worth your attention.
This article was written with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
Source: Tom's Guide
