How to Customize the Windows 11 Start Menu

A little personalization goes a long way

Windows 11‘s new Start menu is drastically different from its predecessors. It’s less flashy and more compact, but it’s also less useful. Whether you love the new Start menu or hate it, you don’t have to stick with it.

Windows 11 does not provide as many customization options for the Start menucompared to older Windows operating systems. Nevertheless, they should be enough to give it your own twist. Or, you can cut to the chase and rely on a third-party app to change how the Start menu works.

Change the Start Menu Alignment

Doing away with tradition, the Start menu in Windows 11 opens from the center of the taskbar. If that feels jarring, you can change the taskbar alignment to make it appear from the left side. To do that:

  1. Open theStart menuand selectSettings. Or, pressWindows Key+I.

  2. SelectPersonalizationon the left pane.

  3. Scroll down and selectTaskbar.

  4. ExpandTaskbar behaviors.

  5. Open the drop-down menu next toTaskbar alignmentand switch fromCentertoLeft.

By default, Windows 11’s Start menu displays a list of recommendations at the bottom. These can consist of programs you install or files and folders you frequently open. However, these items can clutter the Start menu or create privacy concerns. To remove them from the Recommended section:

  1. Open theStart menuand selectSettings>Personalization.

  2. SelectStart.

  3. Turn off the switches next toShow recently added apps,Show most used apps, andShow recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Exploreras needed.

Add Apps and Folders

You can make various system-related apps and folders appear next to the Power button for faster access. To do that:

  1. Open theStart menuand selectSettings.

  2. SelectPersonalization.

  3. SelectStart.

  4. SelectFolders.

  5. Turn on the switches next to the items you want to add—Downloads,Music,Pictures, etc.

Note: If you turn everything off within the Recommended section, the lower portion of the Start menu will appear completely vacant. You can use that area for anything else.

Add, Remove, and Rearrange Pinned Apps

By default, the Start menu in Windows 11 pins various app icons at the top of the screen. You can add, remove, and re-order items from the Pinned section as follows:

  1. Open theStart menu.

  2. Select theAll appsbutton to view a list of installed apps.

  3. Right-click an app and selectPin to Start.

Note: The Start menu only displays three rows of pinned apps simultaneously. If you add more, you must scroll down to view them.

  1. Open theStart menu.

  2. Right-click the app you want to remove.

  3. SelectUnpin from Start.

  4. Open theStart menu.

  5. Right-click an app.

  6. SelectMove to topto push the app to the top of the Start menu. Or, drag and release the icon where you want it to appear.

Change the Start Menu Color

Switching betweenWindows 11’s Light and Dark modeschanges the color of the Start menu. However, those aren’t the only choices you have. To apply different colors to the Start menu:

  1. OpenSettings.

  2. SelectPersonalizationon the sidebar.

  3. SelectColors.

  4. Scroll down to theAccentcolorsection and pick a color.

  5. Turn on the switch next toShow accent color on Start and taskbar.

Customize Start Menu With Start11

To continue customizing Windows 11’s Start menu, you must rely on third-party Start menu customization apps such asStart11,StartAllBack, andStart Menu X.

Start11 is arguably the most polished and user-friendly out of the lot. It costs $5.99 per device, but you can use it for 30 days for free and then decide if you want to purchase it. Here are a few things you can do with it.

Start 11 comes with multiple pre-configured Start menu layouts. After installing Start 11, you can pick between available styles via the Start menu tab.

These include the Windows 10 Start menu (minus the live tiles), Windows 7’s classic Start menu, Start11’s Modern style menu, or an improved version of the default Windows 11 Start menu. Each style also features multiple sub-styles (compact, grid, or a combination of the two) that you can switch to.

Start11 provides loads of customization options that you use to change the appearance and functionality of your preferred menu style. Select theConfigure menuoption, and you can adjust the color and transparency, re-order your quick access list, expand the menu to cover the entire screen, etc. Be sure to experiment.

If the Microsoft Windows 11 logo on the Start button bores you, you can quickly change that with Start11. Switch to theStart Buttontab, and you can switch between multiple built-in icons or use your icons.

Start11 also extends customization support to the Windows 11 taskbar. Switch to theTaskbartab to tweak its appearance with custom textures, change the position (e.g., make it appear at the top of the screen), add the contextual menu from Windows 10, etc. You must restart Windows Explorer to apply your changes.

If you use Windows Search a lot, you can replace it with Start11’s custom search engine. It can find stuff faster, locate contents inside files, search for shortcuts on the desktop, etc. Visit theSearchtab and turn on the switch next toUse Start11 search in the Start11 start menuto get started.

Make It Personal

The Start menu is your focal point in Windows 11, so customizing it is the best way to enhance your experience while interacting with the operating system. If the native options aren’t enough, using Start 11 or an alternative Start menu customization app can be a worthy investment. Next up, check what you can do touninstall annoying pre-installed apps from Windows 11.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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