Microsoft’s OS is expanding with a redesigned Start menu being pushed to Windows 11 devices. The corporation pledges the feature will provide a more structured appearance and quicker access to apps. Although it is a considerate amendment that remedies several long-standing irritations, I still have no rush to remove my third-party Start menu after several years of use. So—what has changed?
The most noticeable alteration is the fresh architecture. ‘All apps’ is no longer confined behind an additional press, but now resides on the secondary page. This resolves the exasperating back-and-forth between pinned components and the whole catalog of slow usage adjustments.
Also, Microsoft has developed three viewing choices that are easy to swap between on the go.
Category view automatically sorts your software into folders organized by form, replicating the perception of the App Library on iOS.
List view clusters everything in alphabetical order, with common applications optionally pinned to the top.
Grid mode also preserves alphabetical order, but combines more extensive panel dimensions and enlarged spacing for quicker visible scanning.
Windows recalls your selection and increases the arrangement cleverly to showcase more prominent guaranteed and suggested content on higher matrices without drenching you in scrolling. Pinned applications sit at the top, but one switch allows you to show or conceal more of them, which helps discipline clutter.
There is also a fresh Phone Link section that shows recent calls and texts from a linked iPhone or Android, extending some of your portable operations to the desktop.
How to get the new Windows 11 Start menu update
- Check Windows Update in Settings and enable the option to receive features as soon as they are ready.
- Look for the preview cumulative update labeled KB5067036, install it, then reboot.
- The rollout is staged, so some PCs see the new Start immediately as other PCs get it a little later.
However, if you generally prefer fewer distractions, head to Settings > Personalization > Start.
This allows you to disable the following:
- Recent apps
- Recommended apps
- Most used apps
- Phone panel
All these features shape the menu in how you actually work.
Usability gains and the remaining friction points
Integrating the app list into the main panel cuts out most of Windows 11 navigation latency’s more criticized bits. In everyday functioning, it snips clicks and tightens the loop between thinking of an app and launching it.
Category view should capture casual users who don’t remember names, while List and Grid preferences stick to keyboard-first and visual scan workflows.
However, search remains the wild card. When Windows returns quick search results, the Start button transforms your search into a command palette. When the indexer tumbles, you feel it. Microsoft’s own layouts and feedback network have openly acknowledged this, and the new layout helps. Nonetheless, it does not solve inconsistent search performance on some PCs.
Apart from Start, this update adds File Explorer, further taskbar polish, voice access, and features targeted for newer AI-focused devices. These are good, but the Start reframe is the first thing you notice.
Why I am staying with a Start menu alternative
My daily driver remains Stardock’s Start11. It revives the classic two-column design many power users internalized from Windows 7, with deep options for sizing, spacing, iconography, and right-click behavior. Crucially, it restores predictable jump lists and nested folders in a way that matches my muscle memory across multiple machines.
StartAllBack is another strong choice if you want even tighter control over the taskbar and legacy UI elements; Open-Shell is a respected open-source route for a no-cost, classic-style menu. In IT-managed environments, these tools can standardize the experience across fleets, reduce training overhead, and keep seasoned users efficient. Many also support config export/import, making rolling out a consistent layout trivial.
In practical terms, my Windows flow involves dozens of Start interactions per session: launching utilities, jumping into recent files, and digging into admin tools. With a third-party menu, those paths are one beat shorter. The native redesign narrows the gap, but it doesn’t entirely match the cadence I get from a mature third-party solution.
The bigger picture for current Windows 11 users
Windows 11 now accounts for well over 30% of global Windows traffic according to StatCounter, so any Start menu change touches hundreds of millions of sessions. Microsoft’s decision to collapse views and offer multiple layouts shows it is listening to feedback gathered through the Windows Insider Program and its public Feedback Hub.
If you like the direction but want fewer suggestions, switch off recommendations and tips. If raw speed appeals to you more in a classic layout, then give Start11, StartAllBack, or Open-Shell a shot and check how much they align with your habits. This is, needless to say, a good thing, as Windows finally has a half-decent default and the ecosystem still offers sufficient latitude to personalize the core button most of us click many times a day.