Microsoft is finally fixing cluttered right-click context menu in Windows 11

• Microsoft is developing new controls to address the clutter in the context menu on Windows 11.
• The new controls are available for developers as part of Windows App SDK 2.0 (preview).
• This menu approach won’t be enabled by default. It’s up to developers to implement the design.

Microsoft is circling back to one of the most controversial design decisions on Windows 11, which is the right-click context menu. The company is now testing (via Neowin) a new WinUI 3 app design feature called “Split Context Menu,” which looks like the long-overdue fix users have been asking for since the operating system was first released in 2021.

This isn’t just another round of interface polish. It’s Microsoft quietly admitting that its “simplified” context menu failed, and it’s cluttered, inconsistent, and slower than the legacy version. And now, the company is finally attempting to clean up the chaos it created with the new Split Context Menu.

Fewer clicks and smarter grouping

The new Split Context Menu aims to group redundant or related commands under a single expandable entry, reducing menu height by up to 38 percent in Microsoft’s own tests. For example, instead of seeing Open with Photos, Edit with Photos, and Set as desktop background stacked separately, you’ll see a single “Open with Photos” entry, hover over it, and a small flyout reveals related actions and apps like Paint or Snipping Tool.

This structure uses a new WinUI “SplitMenuFlyoutItem” control, which combines a main command and a nested flyout into a single line. It’s context-aware too, meaning that menus will dynamically adapt to the file type (for example, Open with Notepad for .txt files, or Open with VLC for media files), while keeping secondary tools tucked neatly away.

Developers can set the default primary action while keeping less-used options within the submenu. It’s cleaner, faster, and more logical, especially for users frustrated by the endless scrolling and duplication that plague current menus.

Will this reach File Explorer?

Right now, the Split Context Menu is limited to WinUI 3-based apps, such as the Photos app, and developers can experiment with it through the latest Windows App SDK 2.0 experimental (exp3) build. The software giant hasn’t confirmed whether this new menu will expand to the Windows 11 shell (meaning File Explorer and the desktop), but the examples shown during the company’s community calls strongly hint in that direction.

If Microsoft brings this to the shell, every right-click across the experience could benefit. If not, the fix will remain partial, and we’ll end up with a patch for modern apps, while the core operating system remains stuck with the same inconsistent behavior.

Performance, confidence, and usability

The context menu is more than a visual element. It’s one of the most-used features on Windows 11. A broken or inconsistent right-click menu slows workflow, increases misclicks, and decreases trust among users who rely on predictable behavior.

When Microsoft introduced the new context menu in 2021, it promised simplicity. However, instead, users got slower rendering, hidden options under “Show more options,” and performance lags, even when right-clicking a simple image. For many, restoring the old context menu on Windows 11 became the only way to restore sanity.

This new iteration, if implemented system-wide, could finally merge the modern and classic menus for a more streamlined experience for everyday users without punishing power users with extra clicks.

The bigger picture

The Split Context Menu isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about improving the user workflow. If this approach extends beyond WinUI apps, Windows 11 could finally deliver the context menu users expected four years ago, that’s quick, consistent, genuinely modern, and without clutter.

What do you think about the new changes coming to the context menu? Let me know in the comments.