Windows 11 is finally adding Start menu resizing and better controls

• Microsoft to start testing new Windows 11 Start menu customization features in Insider preview builds.
• Users will soon be able to resize the Start menu with “Small” and “Large” layout options.
• New toggles will let users independently hide or show Pinned, Recommended, and All sections.
• File recommendations in Start will no longer affect recent files and jump lists in File Explorer.

Microsoft is preparing one of the biggest Start menu customization updates in years for Windows 11. Over the next few weeks, as part of the Windows K2 initiative, participants of the Windows Insider Program will begin testing new controls that let users resize the Start menu, hide sections they do not want, and separate file recommendations from recent activity across the operating system.

The changes are coming through preview builds for Windows 11, where the company is experimenting with a more flexible version of Start that gives users more direct control over what appears on screen.

Start menu gets long-overdue customization controls

On Windows 11, the Start menu has felt oddly rigid for years. Microsoft added pinned apps, recommendations, and account integrations, but users had limited ways to control the layout without digging through multiple settings pages.

That is finally changing. The company says users will soon be able to independently toggle the “Pinned,” “Recommended,” and “All” sections inside Start. Instead of navigating several menus to remove recommendations or manually unpinning apps one at a time, each section gets its own dedicated switch.

Microsoft is also separating file recommendations from the broader “Recommended” experience. Currently, disabling recommendations in Start also disables recent files and jump lists in places like File Explorer. The new approach lets users turn off Start recommendations without affecting the rest of the system.

The bigger change may be the new size controls. Today, the Start menu automatically scales based on screen size and display resolution. Soon, users will be able to choose between “Small” and “Large” layouts to keep the experience more consistent across monitors and devices.

The software giant is also adding an option to hide the account name and profile image from Start. Microsoft is positioning the feature as a privacy improvement for screen sharing, presentations, and livestreams.

Microsoft gives users more control over the Start menu

Rather than a redesign, these changes feel like Microsoft responding to long-standing complaints about the Start menu’s limited customization.

Since launching Windows 11, Microsoft has pushed a curated Start experience filled with recommendations, cloud content, and suggested files. Some users appreciated the convenience. Others saw it as clutter that took away from quick app access.

The new controls suggest that the company is now leaning toward personalization over automation. Users who want a minimal launcher with only pinned apps can build one in seconds. People who prefer a fuller Start menu can keep everything enabled.

That flexibility has been missing since Windows 11 launched.

How the new Start menu settings work

Microsoft says the changes will appear as new controls inside the Start settings page.

After these changes become available, users will be able to open Settings > Personalization > Start, toggle individual Start sections on or off, and choose between “Small” and “Large” Start layouts.

The updated experience should also reduce the number of settings spread across multiple pages, a common complaint among users.

Pureinfotech’s Take

I think this is the version of the Start menu that Windows 11 should have launched with from day one. For years, Microsoft kept pushing a more curated experience with recommendations, cloud integrations, and sections users could not fully control. The problem was never the features themselves. It was the lack of flexibility.

Personally, I like seeing recent files in File Explorer, but I have never liked the “Recommended” section taking up space in Start. Separating those controls is the right move because it finally treats them as two distinct features rather than bundling everything together. The new size options are also long overdue, especially for people who move between laptops, ultrawide monitors, and multi-display setups.

The bigger news here is that Microsoft appears to be listening more carefully to longstanding feedback rather than trying to force a single workflow on everyone. I have seen this pattern before with Windows. The company often launches a more opinionated design, then spends the next few years adding back the customization users were asking for from the start. We saw it happen with the Taskbar, File Explorer, and now the Start menu.

What are your thoughts about these new Start menu changes on Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.