How to customize the context menu on Windows 11

• Windows 11 adds a “Context menu” page under Settings > Personalization to customize the right-click menu.
• Users can enable or disable built-in commands, manage app extensions, and change how Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share appear.
• Additional options let users organize cloud storage commands, access the legacy menu, and move Properties to the bottom.
• The feature is rolling out gradually through KB5127936 for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 26H2, so it may not be available on every device just yet.

On Windows 11, Microsoft is finally giving users full control to customize the context menu, and it is more than a visual cleanup.

The right-click menu has always had a tendency to get crowded as apps add their own commands. Windows 11 introduced a redesigned context menu with a cleaner layout, but over time, app integrations started filling it up again, making the menu slower to open and harder to navigate. Until now, managing which items appear in the menu has often required editing the Windows Registry, which isn’t the most convenient option for everyday users.

Microsoft is addressing these problems with a faster, simpler context menu and new customization options in Settings. You can enable or disable built-in commands, manage app extensions, display common actions such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share as text instead of icons, and move Properties to the bottom of the menu.

If you want to reduce clutter and make the right-click menu work the way you prefer, I’ll show you how to customize the context menu on Windows 11 using the new settings and explain when Registry edits may still be necessary.

In this guide, I’ll outline what you need to know to add, remove, and customize the context menu with the new native options in Windows 11.

Customize the context menu on Windows 11

To manage the items that appear in the Windows 11 context menu, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on Windows 11.

   Quick tip: You can also open the context menu and choose the “Customize menu” option.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click the Context menu page.

4. Choose the file actions that should appear in the context menu depending on the file type, including “Send to,” “Print,” “Create shortcut,” “Copy as path,” and “Rotate image.”

   

5. Click the App extensions setting.

   

6. Select which app extensions (such as OneDrive, Paint, and Notepad) should appear in the main menu instead of in a submenu.

7. (Optional) Turn off the “Show app extensions submenu” toggle switch if you don’t want to show any extensions in the context menu.

8. Turn on the “Arrange primary actions inline” toggle switch to show “Cut,” “Copy,” “Paste,” “Rename,” “Share,” and “Delete” in a vertical list like on the Windows 10 context menu under the “Additional options” section.

   

   Quick note: If the option is off, the items will appear in a horizontal list at the top of the menu. This is the default behavior.

9. Turn on the “Keep cloud storage actions in their own section” toggle switch if you want OneDrive to appear with its own entry and submenu in the main menu.

10. Turn on the “Show more options” toggle switch to include an option in the main menu to open the legacy menu.

    Quick tip: You can still hold the “Shift + right-click” keyboard shortcut to jump directly to the legacy menu.

11. (Optional) Turn on the “More Properties to the bottom of the context menu” toggle switch to position the “Properties” option at the bottom of the menu like on Windows 10.

Once you complete the steps, you’ll have a fully customized, less crowded, and faster context menu.

What if the new context menu settings aren’t available?

Microsoft is rolling out the new context menu gradually, so the Customize menu option may not appear on every device immediately. The feature is included in the Release Preview update KB5127936 for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 26H2, but availability depends on the rollout phase.

If you don’t see the new settings, check Windows Update to see whether the update is available for your device. Alternatively, you can use the ViveTool instructions to force-enable the experience on a supported build, including after installing the October 2026 Security Update.

The new Settings page covers common commands, app extensions, and menu layout options. However, if you want to add a custom command that isn’t available in Settings, you may still need to configure the application or edit the Registry, depending on how the command is integrated.

Other changes to the context menu

The redesigned context menu also changes a few things in File Explorer. The “Refresh” command is available in the modern menu, “Open file location” appears closer to the top in the Home section, and OneDrive commands, such as “Always keep on this device,” are grouped in their own submenu to reduce clutter.

Keep in mind that the new Settings page doesn’t let you customize every individual entry inside the App extensions submenu. You can control which extensions appear in the main menu or hide the submenu entirely, but adding custom commands that aren’t supported by these settings may still require editing the Windows Registry or configuring the application itself.

Wrap up

Once you finish customizing the settings, the Windows 11 context menu will reflect your preferred layout and give you quicker access to the commands you use most.

If the new options aren’t available on your computer yet, check Windows Update or use the ViveTool method on a supported build.

Keep in mind that custom commands not covered by the built-in settings may still require Registry edits.