Summary
Microsoft has iterated on almost every aspect of Windows 11 since it was first released back in 2021, but one of the things that haven’t changed a lot is the taskbar and the Start menu. Now, though, we’re getting a new Start menu design, and you might like this one better.
Windows 11 is playing around with the release of a new Start menu design. The updated design, if Microsoft sticks with this for the final 25H2 update, features pinned apps at the top, a “Recommended” section for files and frequent apps in the middle, and a new categorized view of all installed apps at the bottom. From the Start menu, you can just scroll down to see your list of installed apps, rather than having to click on a separate “All apps” menu. And if you’re linking your phone to your computer, there’s a button that will quickly pull up a view of your linked phone, including battery information, calls, and messages.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Windows has already rolled outan earlier version of thisa few months ago, and it’s been present in Insider builds for a while. This one, however, is a more finalized version of what we saw then.
For the “All apps” section of the Start menu, Microsoft is introducing two new organizational views: “Category” and “Grid.” The default “Category” view automatically groups apps into categories such as “Productivity” or “Games.” For a category to be created, it must contain at least three related apps; otherwise, they will be listed under an “Other” category. If you’re not too fond of the typical alphabetical sorting method, this can be a good alternative, provided it works fine.
If you’d rather stick with something that looks more like your old reliable list, the new “Grid” view presents apps in alphabetical order with a more horizontally expansive layout, which may allow for quicker visual scanning of all installed programs compared to a simple list. The system will remember the last used view, and yes, you can just continue using your old List view if you wish.
The design of this new Start menu can adapt better to different displays. Those with larger monitors will see a more expansive Start menu by default, capable of displaying up to eight columns of pinned apps, six recommendations, and four columns of app categories. On smaller devices, the layout will be more compact, showing six columns of pinned apps, four recommendations, and three columns of categories.
If you want to check this out, it will likely come as part of Windows 11 25H2 later this year. You can skip the line by downloading the latest Insider update, though, as I usually say, I don’t recommend it unless you’re doing it on a computer you don’t care a lot about or if you’re not too worried about bugs that could potentially break your computer.
