How to make Start menu smaller or larger on Windows 11 – no workarounds needed

• Microsoft is introducing built-in size controls for the Windows 11 Start menu as part of its broader “K2” initiative.
• Unlike Windows 10’s free-drag resizing, Windows 11 uses “Small” and “Large” presets found under Settings > Personalization > Start.
• Changes apply instantly to the layout without needing to restart your computer or log out of your current session.
• The feature will start rolling out to the Windows Insider Program soon before hitting stable builds later this year.

As part of Microsoft’s broader Windows K2 initiative, Windows 11 is finally introducing more control over the Start menu experience, including the ability to change its size. While the Start menu already scales automatically depending on your screen size and resolution, the default layout is not always ideal, especially on larger displays or compact laptops where the menu can feel either too crowded or unnecessarily oversized.

This is also a notable change because earlier versions of Windows 10 allowed users to freely resize the Start menu by dragging its edges, similar to resizing a regular app window. However, Microsoft removed that flexibility with the redesigned Start menu on Windows 11, forcing users to rely on workarounds and third-party tools to make the menu smaller or fit more content on screen.

In a wave of updates from the K2 initiative to address pain points in the operating system, Windows 11 finally adds built-in size controls, allowing you to switch between smaller and larger Start menu layouts in the Settings app. However, this implementation is still different from Windows 10, since you cannot freely drag and resize the menu to any custom dimension. Instead, Microsoft offers preset size options designed to keep the experience consistent across devices.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to change the size of the Start menu on Windows 11.

Change Start menu size using native controls on Windows 11

To change the layout of the Windows 11 Start menu, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click the Start page.

4. Select the Small or Large option in the “Start menu size” setting.

   

Once you complete the steps, the Start menu will resize automatically without the need to sign out or restart the computer.

In addition to the ability to resize the Start menu, the company plans to introduce changes that let users independently show or hide the different sections of the Start menu, including Pinned, Recommended, and All.

Pureinfotech’s Take

While I’m glad to see Microsoft finally addressing the rigidity of the Windows 11 Start menu, I can’t help but feel this is another case of the company fixing a problem it created in the first place. Stripping away the fluid, free-form window resizing we enjoyed in Windows 10 was a massive misstep that broke decades of muscle memory. Forcing users to rely on third-party utilities just to get a functional desktop layout was never a good look.

Introducing fixed “Small” and “Large” presets is a step in the right direction, but it still feels overly restricted. Microsoft loves to chase “consistency across devices,” but that philosophy often ignores the reality of heavy desktop users who just want control over their workspace. That said, I absolutely recommend switching to the smaller layout the second this hits your machine if you’re working on a compact laptop screen or want to reclaim precious real estate. It’s a welcome, long-overdue refinement, but I hope the K2 initiative eventually brings back true, unconstrained window dragging.

What are your thoughts about this new sizing feature on Windows 11? Do presets solve your layout issues, or do you want full resizing back? Let me know in the comments below.