How to hide 'Recommended' section from Start menu on Windows 11

To disable recommendations in the Windows 11 Start menu, open Settings > Personalization > Start, then turn off all options under the “Recommended” section.
This works for the new Start menu design available for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2.
If you’re still on Windows 11 23H2, you can prevent items from appearing, but the “Recommended” section will remain available in the menu.

UPDATED 10/30/2025: On Windows 11, starting with version 25H2 and 24H2, it’s possible to completely hide the “Recommended” section from the Start menu (new design), but you won’t have a dedicated option. Instead, you’ll have to turn off the settings that trigger the recommendations, and then the system will remove the section automatically from the menu.

On the other hand, if you still have a device running version 23H2, you can’t completely remove the “Recommended” section, but you can disable the feature to prevent items from appearing in that section.

The “Recommended” section is part of the Start menu (below is the “Pinned” section) that suggests recent files you may want to access again, frequent websites, and recently installed apps. It can even show Microsoft Store app recommendations. Although it can be a useful feature, it’s not for everyone. However, you can disable it if you know where to find the settings.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to completely hide the “Recommended” section from the Start menu on Windows 11.

Hide the Recommended section from Start on Windows 11 (new)
Hide the Recommended section from Start on Windows 11 (old)
FAQs about disabling the Recommended section from the Start menu

Hide the Recommended section from Start on Windows 11 (new)

To hide the “Recommended” section in the Start menu, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Start tab.
Turn off the “Show recently added apps” toggle switch.
Turn off the “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists” toggle switch.
Turn off the “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more” toggle switch.
Turn off the “Show websites from your browsing history” toggle switch.

After you complete the steps, the Start menu will no longer show recommendations on Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2.

Hide the Recommended section from Start on Windows 11 (old)

To prevent Start from showing recommendations of files and apps on Windows 11 23H2 and older versions, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Start tab.
Turn off the “Show recently added apps” toggle switch.
Turn off the “Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer” toggle switch.
Turn off the “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more” toggle switch.
(Optional) Select the More pins option to change the Start menu layout to show an extra row of pins.

Once you complete the steps, the Start menu will no longer show recommendations and will display an extra row of pinned items.

If you want to remove a specific item from Start, you only need to right-click the item and select the “Remove from list” option.

FAQs about disabling the Recommended section from the Start menu

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers about hiding recommendations from the Start menu on Windows 11.

Can I completely remove the Recommended section on Windows 11?

Yes, starting with versions 25H2 and 24H2, Windows 11 can automatically hide the entire Recommended section when you turn off all the recommendation-related settings in the Start personalization page.

Why can’t I find an option to remove the Recommended section?

There’s no dedicated “Hide Recommended” toggle. Instead, the operating system automatically removes it after disabling all recommendation options.

What’s the difference between disabling recommendations on version 25H2 and 23H2?

On versions 25H2 and 24H2, the section disappears entirely. On version 23H2 and older, it remains visible but empty, showing an additional row of pinned apps instead.

Will turning off the Recommended section remove recent files from File Explorer?

Yes, if you turn off “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists,” Windows 11 will stop tracking and showing recently opened items.

Can I bring the Recommended section back later?

Yes. You can re-enable it anytime by turning the recommendation options back on from the Start settings page.

How do I show more pinned apps after disabling the Recommended section?

On version 23H2, you can switch the Start layout to “More pins” under Settings > Personalization > Start to display an extra row of pinned apps.

Does disabling the Recommended section affect web suggestions?

Yes, if you turn off the “Show websites from your browsing history” toggle, Windows will stop showing websites in the Start menu recommendations.

Update October 30, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.