How to Customize the Windows 11 Start Menu

When you first boot up your new PC, your Windows 11 Start menu will look like it does to any new Windows user. But that doesn’t mean you can’t change the appearance of this crucial menu. In fact, Windows 11 offers all sorts of customization options, and the Windows 11 Start menu is just one of those dashboards you can tweak to your liking. Here’s how to access all the settings and toggles you need to get the job done.

Customize the list of recently added apps, opened items and folders

One of the new features of the Windows 11 Start menu is the Featured section. This section shows your recently added apps, as well as your recently opened items. If you want to customize the look of your Start menu a bit, this area is a good place to start, since you can toggle it on or off.

Step 1: Open Windows 11 settings with Windows key And I on your keyboard. Click on the Personalization option in the sidebar.

Step 2: Click to Get started and explore the different options. If you don't want to see recently opened files, turn the switch to Out. This will create a blank space in your Start menu, but you can fill it up by clicking the switches Show recently added apps And Show the most used apps.

Step 3: For additional customization, you can also change which folders appear next to the Power button in your Start menu. Find this option under Folders and then click the different toggles for the items you want to see next to the power button.

Remove apps or change the order of apps in the Start menu

Just like in Windows 10 and previous editions of Windows, you can remove specific apps from your Start menu if you don’t like the list. You can also pin and move your own apps around however you like. Here’s how.

Step 1: To remove an app from the Start menu, simply right-click on it and choose release from start. The app will then disappear from your pinned list.

Step 2: If you want to pin an app in place, you can simply click the button All apps button, right click on an app and choose Pin to Start.

Step 3: At any other time, you can drag your pinned apps around on your Start menu to change their order and appearance. To do this, click and hold the app, then drag it with your mouse.

Change the location of the Start menu

The big change with the Start menu in Windows 11 is its location. It’s in the middle of the screen, but if you’re more traditional, you can move it back to the left side. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open Windows 11 settings with Windows key And I. Then click on the Personalization option. From there, search for Taskbar behavior.

Step 2: Once you click on Taskbar behavior to search Taskbar alignment and change it into Left. You should immediately see the Start menu shift to the left.

Change the color of the Start menu

Don't like the color of the Start menu? You can change the color to your liking. The color change will also affect the taskbar and your Windows, so keep that in mind.

Step 1: Open Windows 11 settings with Windows key And I. Then click on the Personalization option. From there, search for To colour.

Step 2: Once in the To colour section, switch your theme to Amended In the standard Windows mode, select Dark and then in the standard app mode, select the option you want.

Step 3: Next, under Accent colorchoose a color you like. If there is no color listed, you can create a custom color using the View color button. From there, make sure the switches for Show accent color on Start and taskbar And Show accent color on title bars and window borders are both set to On Now you can see more color in your Start menu!

Other options with Start11

We've covered the basic ways to change your Start Menu in Windows 11 , but third-party programs can give you more choice. Start11 is one of our favorite programs for this, as it lets you move the Start Menu to the top of the screen or even bring back the classic Windows 10 Start Menu Windows 11. However, it is a paid software and costs $6. If you really want the most customization options, then it might be worth the price.