How To Customize The Start Menu In Windows 11

How to Customize the Start Menu in Windows 11: A Comprehensive Guide

The Start Menu is one of the most important and iconic features in the Windows operating system. With Windows 11, Microsoft has revamped the Start Menu with a fresh look and new functionality, offering a cleaner, more modern interface. By default, the Start Menu in Windows 11 is centered and minimalist, showing pinned apps, recommended items, and quick access to system functions. However, Windows 11 also gives users a variety of options to personalize and tailor the Start Menu to their specific needs and preferences.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore in-depth how to customize the Start Menu in Windows 11 to make it more functional, aesthetic, and aligned with your workflow.

Step 1: Understanding the New Windows 11 Start Menu Layout

The first step in customizing the Start Menu is understanding its basic layout and structure. The Windows 11 Start Menu is divided into two main sections:

1. Pinned Apps: This section contains app icons that are pinned for easy access. These apps are customizable, meaning you can pin or unpin apps according to your preferences.

2. Recommended: This section shows a list of recently opened files, installed apps, and recommended items based on your usage. This feature is meant to improve productivity by providing quick access to documents or apps you’ve used recently.

At the bottom of the Start Menu, you’ll find user-related options (such as account settings and sign-out) and the Power button, which allows you to shut down, restart, or put your PC to sleep.

Step 2: Pinning and Unpinning Apps in the Start Menu

One of the first customizations you’ll want to make is pinning and unpinning apps to organize the Start Menu according to your needs. This is particularly useful for frequently used applications that you want quick access to.

Pinning Apps

To pin an app to the Start Menu, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start Menu: Click the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu.

2. Search for the App: If the app you want to pin is not already displayed in the Start Menu, type the name of the app into the search bar.

3. Right-click the App: Once you locate the app, right-click on it, and a context menu will appear.

4. Select "Pin to Start": In the context menu, click Pin to Start. The app will now appear in the Pinned Apps section of your Start Menu.

Unpinning Apps

If there are apps pinned to your Start Menu that you don’t use often or want to remove:

1. Right-click on the Pinned App: Right-click on the app that you want to remove from the Start Menu.

2. Select "Unpin from Start": In the context menu, select **Unpin from Start**. The app will be removed from the Pinned Apps section, but it will still be available in your system or via search.

Organizing Pinned Apps

You can also rearrange the position of pinned apps to suit your preferences. Simply click and drag the app icons into the desired position within the Pinned Apps section. This helps organize your Start Menu by grouping related apps or placing your most-used apps at the top for easy access.

Step 3: Customizing the Start Menu Layout

Windows 11 allows users to further customize the layout of the Start Menu, adjusting its appearance and behavior to fit different needs.

Changing Start Menu Alignment

By default, the Start Menu is centered on the taskbar. However, some users prefer the traditional left-aligned Start Menu, similar to earlier versions of Windows. To change the Start Menu alignment:

1. Right-click on the Taskbar: Right-click an empty space on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.

2. Scroll to Taskbar Behaviors: In the settings window, scroll down to the Taskbar behaviors section.

3. Change Taskbar Alignment: Under Taskbar alignment, select Left from the dropdown menu. This will move the Start button and its menu to the left side of the screen, resembling the layout of Windows 10.

Resizing the Start Menu

While Windows 11 doesn’t allow you to freely resize the Start Menu like previous versions, you can control the number of recommended items shown in the Start Menu, which affects its overall size:

1. Open Settings: Go to Settings by clicking the Start button, and then select Personalization.

2. Navigate to Start Settings: In the left-hand panel, select Start.

3. Adjust Recommended Items: Here, you can toggle off Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, and Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer. This reduces the number of recommended items shown, which in turn shrinks the size of the Start Menu.

4. Show More Pinned Apps: You can also adjust how many rows of pinned apps you see. Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start, then select Folders to add quick access folders at the bottom of the Start Menu.

Step 4: Managing the Recommended Section

The Recommended section in the Start Menu is designed to show you recently used apps and files. While this is convenient for many, some users prefer not to have their recent activity displayed or would like to modify what shows up in this section.

Turning Off Recommended Items

If you’d prefer not to see recommended items in your Start Menu:

1. Go to Start Settings: Open Settings and navigate to Personalization > Start.

2. Disable Recent Items: Toggle off Show recently opened items and Show recently added apps to remove these items from appearing in the Recommended section.

Customizing What Shows in Recommended

If you want to keep the Recommended section but limit the items displayed, you can fine-tune its behavior:

1. Manage Recent Files: If you frequently open files from certain apps, such as Word or Excel, they’ll appear in the Recommended section. To prevent certain files from appearing, you can open those apps and clear recent file lists from within the app’s settings.

2. Removing Individual Items: If you want to remove specific items from the Recommended section, simply right-click on them and select Remove from list. This allows you to curate the Recommended section to only show the most relevant items.

Step 5: Customizing Folders and Quick Access in the Start Menu

At the bottom of the Start Menu, you can add quick access folders to provide fast navigation to important directories, such as Documents, Pictures, Downloads, and more. By default, these folders aren’t visible, but you can enable them:

1. Go to Start Settings: Open Settings and navigate to Personalization > Start.

2. Select Folders: Click on Folders to customize which folders you want to appear next to the Power button at the bottom of the Start Menu.

3. Toggle On Desired Folders: From here, you can toggle on commonly used folders like Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures,Videos, Network, or Personal Folder. These shortcuts will now be visible in your Start Menu, giving you quick access to these directories.

 Step 6: Customizing the Start Menu’s Visual Appearance

Beyond functional changes, you can also customize the visual appearance of the Start Menu to match your style. Windows 11 offers several options for changing the theme, color, and transparency of the Start Menu.

Changing the Start Menu Color

1. Go to Personalization Settings: Open Settings and navigate to Personalization > Colors.

2. Choose Your Color: You can select between Light, Dark, or Custom modes. If you choose Custom, you can set one color for Windows and another for apps.

3. Accent Colors: Scroll down to Accent color and either pick a color or enable Automatically pick an accent color from my background. This will apply to the Start Menu as well as other elements, like the taskbar.

4. Transparency Effects: To enable or disable transparency effects in the Start Menu, toggle on or off Transparency effects. This allows the Start Menu to have a frosted glass appearance, making it semi-transparent and blending slightly with your desktop background.

Step 7: Using Third-Party Tools for Advanced Customization

While Windows 11 provides robust options for customizing the Start Menu, some users might want even more control over the layout and functionality. Third-party tools can offer advanced customization features that go beyond the default settings.

Popular Third-Party Start Menu Customization Tools

1. Start11: Start11 is a popular tool that allows you to bring back the classic Windows 7-style Start Menu, customize layouts, and adjust functionality far beyond the default Windows 11 options. It provides extensive features for changing the appearance and behavior of the Start Menu.

2. Open-Shell (formerly Classic Shell): Open-Shell is a free, open-source tool that allows you to create a highly customizable Start Menu. It’s especially useful if you prefer the classic look and feel of older Windows versions.

3. StartIsBack: StartIsBack provides another alternative for users who want a Windows 7 or Windows 10 style Start Menu on Windows 11. It offers customization for appearance, layout, and functionality.

Using these third-party tools gives you more control over the aesthetics and functionality of your Start Menu and taskbar.

Conclusion

Customizing the Start Menu in Windows 11 is a highly personal process, allowing you to tailor one of the most frequently used interfaces on your PC to better suit your workflow and preferences. From pinning and unpinning apps, managing the Recommended section, adjusting layout and alignment, to changing its appearance with color and transparency options, Windows 11 offers a variety of customization features that cater to different user needs.

For users seeking even more control over the Start Menu’s layout and functionality, third-party tools such as Start11, Open-Shell, and StartIsBack provide advanced customization options. These tools enable users to create a Start Menu that not only looks different but behaves in a way that enhances productivity and usability.

Whether you prefer a minimalist look with only your most essential apps pinned or a fully functional menu with folders, shortcuts, and transparency effects, Windows 11 gives you the flexibility to craft the perfect Start Menu for your needs. With a bit of time and exploration, you can transform the Start Menu into a tool that not only reflects your personal style but also boosts your efficiency and productivity in everyday tasks.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to customize the Start Menu to improve your overall Windows 11 experience, ensuring that your workflow is seamless and that the features most important to you are readily accessible. The Start Menu is, after all, the gateway to all your apps, documents, and settings — customizing it to your preferences can make a significant difference in how you interact with your computer.