Chicago
Track Your Order
0
Customize the Start Menu to Navigate Windows 11 Better
Windows 11 offers a simplified Start Menu layout. However, it might not be the easiest to navigate right out of the box. Luckily, you can easily customize the Start Menu to make accessing the apps and files you use much simpler.
Change Layout to Accommodate More Pinned Apps
The default Start menu in Windows 11 includes a mix of pinned apps and a dynamic section for recommended files and apps.
However, not everyone finds the reduced space for pinned apps ideal. If you rely on quick access to numerous applications, you'll likely want to adjust the layout to prioritize pinned apps.
To show more pins in the Start Menu:
- Open Windows Settings, click Personalization in the left panel, and then in the right panel, click Start.
- In the Layout section, choose from the three available options – More pins, Default, or More recommendations. Select More pins to allocate more space for pinned apps.
- Once this is done, open the Start menu, and click the All apps button to browse your installed applications. Right-click on any app you use frequently and select Pin to Start.
- In the Start menu, drag and drop icons to arrange the pinned apps according to your preferences.
By maximizing the number of pinned apps, you can quickly navigate to your frequently used applications without the need to scroll or search each time!
Of course, if you only work with a handful of apps, you might want to opt for the More recommendations setting to reduce the pinned apps to just two rows.
Add Quick Access to System Folders
By default, the Start menu lacks quick access to important system folders like Settings, File Explorer, and Downloads. In fact, these are some of my frequent destinations during daily tasks, so having them readily available in the Start menu can save time.
Thankfully, you can add these shortcuts back for faster navigation.
- Open Windows Settings, click Personalization in the left panel, and then in the right panel, click Start.
- Click Folders.
- Toggle on the folders you want to appear on the Start menu. These include Settings, File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, Network, and the Personal folder.
Once enabled, these quick-access shortcuts will appear as small icons in the bottom-right corner of the Start menu next to the Power button. By adding these shortcuts, you can quickly access essential system locations without navigating through multiple menus.
Personalize More Start Menu Options
Beyond layout and shortcuts, Windows 11 offers further customization options to personalize your Start menu.
For example, the Start menu displays suggestions for apps you might want to install. If you find these suggestions irrelevant, you can disable them. To do so, open Personalization > Start and toggle off Show app suggestions.
You can also customize the recommendations below the pinned apps. In the Start settings, toggle the option for Show recently added apps or Show recently opened items. If you prefer a clean look, you can turn off recommendations altogether.
In Start menu, you can also create app folders. For better organization, group related apps into folders by dragging one app icon over another to create a folder. You can then rename the folder to something descriptive.
This helps declutter the Start menu and is similar to how a lot of us organize our smartphone home screens as well.
While we discussed enabling quick-access shortcuts for system folders, we often work with specific folders buried inside other folders. For quick access to those folders, you can pin them to the Start menu, where they appear along with the pinned apps.
Just right-click any folder while browsing it in File Explorer, select Show more options, and choose Pin to Start.
And, of course, you can also change the alignment of the Start menu. While the default centered alignment is a hallmark of Windows 11, you can revert to the classic left-aligned Start button if you prefer.
By exploring these options, you can truly make the Start menu your own, aligning it to your preferences and daily workflows. Apart from customizing the Start menu for efficient and personalized navigation, you can also explore further features like the color scheme, transparency effects, and more to personalize your Windows experience.
