Windows 11 is getting a new Start menu design with more customization

UPDATED 6/19/2025: Microsoft is officially working on a new Start menu for Windows 11. It will consolidate the “All” menu with the “Pinned” page into a bigger, scrollable layout. Also, the menu will finally allow you to turn off the “Recommended” section, but not in an intuitive way.

The new unified and more customizable design for the menu you use every day was leaked in April 2025, but now, the company has officially announced that the Start menu will soon get an overhaul alongside a deeper integration with the Phone Link app, which also introduces a new sidebar next to the Start menu. 

The menu redesign is available for Insiders through the Beta and Dev Channels. The new Start menu is rolling out gradually, but you can always enable it manually using the ViveTool.

New Start menu for Windows 11

The new design includes a wider frame that can hold up to eight pins, up to three suggestions of files and apps, and up to eight apps or four groups in one row.

The “Pinned” section holds two rows of pins by default, and if you pin more apps, the section will show an option to expand all the pins.

If you want this section to show every pin at all times, you can turn on “Show all pins by default” on the “Start” settings page.

The “Recommended” section remains identical to the current version, but the system can now display up to six files or apps using two rows. You are not getting a collapsible button, but when you click the “Show more” button, you’ll be taken to another page listing all your recent files.

In this design, you can finally turn off the “Recommended” section to show only your pins and the “All” list by turning off the “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists” toggle switch from the “Start” settings page.

In addition, you will have to turn off the “Show recently added apps,” “Show most used apps,” and “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more” toggles.

The “All” section is perhaps the most noticeable addition, which means that you will not have to jump to another page to view all your apps. Furthermore, you can also change the view to grid, list, and category.

The menu still supports groups and all the previous features.

As a result of this new design, Microsoft is also updating the “Start” settings page, which no longer includes options to change the layout since you can now see the default two rows or all the pins with the new “Show all pins by default” option.

Aside from the new customization option for pins, all the other settings remain the same.

One complaint I’ve heard about the new design is the larger layout, as many users have said that it’s too big. Some other people called the new design just “ugly.” However, one thing to point out is that the bigger layout only appears on larger displays. For example, if you use a high scaling setting, the menu will retain the same size as the previous version.

It’s unclear when the company plans to roll out this new design, but a test version of the menu is expected to arrive very soon through the Windows Insider Program. One thing for sure is that it’s still a work in progress since it has some design problems. Also, the new layout doesn’t match the Windows Search interface, so the transition from the Start menu to Windows Search isn’t perfect. 

One way that Microsoft could fix the transition from Start to Search is to make results appear in the Start menu, as was possible on Windows 7 and Vista.