How to customize the Windows 11’s start menu

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How to customize the Windows 11’s start menu – Guide

Microsoft provides a wealth of documentation for developers on methods for modifying the Windows 11 Start menu. However, there isn’t much information about how to edit and modify the Start menu in Windows 11 for the common user. Fortunately for you, we have a handy guide about how to customize the Windows 11 start menu.

For those who love the Windows 10 Start Menu look in Windows 10, the Windows 11 Start Menu is completely of different types. It is centralized by default, there are no more Live Tiles, and there will likely be more usual layout changes coming soon in future builds of Windows 11.

The New Windows 11 Start Menu

The big difference between the Windows 11 Start menu and its predecessor is that it doesn’t have any blocks. Gone are those dynamic block animated shortcuts that lit up up Windows 10 Menu. Whether this is a change for the better is debatable.

However, the Windows 11 Start menu displays recent file items, which is a feature the previous menu was missing. Therefore, you can select recently opened files in software applications from the menu to reopen them when needed. This is a user-friendly accessibility feature many users will appreciate it.

The other notable difference is that the Windows 11 Start menu incorporates a search box. You can enter keywords there to search in the menu. Therefore, the search box is more integrated into the new menu.

1 How to Pin application shortcuts to Start menu

You can pin application shortcuts to your most essential software in the Start menu. To do this, follow the steps below.

1. Click on the Start taskbar button to open the menu.
2. Press All Apps button button.
3. Right-click on an application and select the Pin on startup option.

You will then see the shortcut in the pinned apps section of the start menu. To remove a pinned app, right-click on it and select Unpin from start.

Unfortunately, you cannot pin desktop folder shortcuts to the Windows 11 Start menu. However, you can still add library folder shortcuts to that menu, such as the Videos, Documents, Pictures, Downloads, and Music subfolders of your user account, among others.

This is How to add folder shortcuts to the menu via Settings.

1. First, open the Start menu.
2. Click on the pinned Settings app shortcut.
3. Then select the Customization tab.
4. Click Start > Folders from there to bring up up the options.
5. Now click the On button buttons for library folders you want to add to the Start menu. You will then see new shortcuts at the bottom of the Start menu.

3. Switch application and Start menu item Features On off

The Windows 11 Start menu may show your recently added apps and items, but it doesn’t have to. Instead, you can configure what this menu does and doesn’t show by tweaking some options in Settings.

1. To open Settings, press the Windows key + I hotkey.
2. Click Personalization on the left side of Settings.
3. Then you can click the Show recently opened items toggle option in Start, Jump Lists, and File button on or off to disable the recommended files.
4. To change the way the Start menu displays applications, click the toggle button buttons On or Off to Show Most Used Apps Options ​​and Show Recently Added Apps.

4. Change the start menu color

The Start menu and taskbar will be dark blue by default, but you don’t need to limit yourself to that. The Windows 11 Settings app includes a color palette with which you can select a variety of different colors. You can change the Start menu color with this palette as follows.

1. First, select Settings from the Start menu.
2. Select the Settings tab ‘Custom.
3. Click Colors on this tab to bring up up the options.
4. Windows is grayed out Show Highlight Color in Start and Taskbar when White Mode is selected. Therefore, you will need to select the Dark setting from the Choose your mode drop-down menu.
5. Then select the Show highlight color setting in Start and Taskbar.
6. Double-click Highlight Color to expand your palette.
7. Then choose a different color for start menu and taskbar there.
8. You can open a larger color palette by clicking the Show Colors option.
9. Left click and drag the small circle on this palette to choose a different color with it and press the Done button button.

The customizable Windows 11 taskbar has a centralized Start menu and icons. Don’t like the central menu? If not, this is How to move the Start menu and other icons to the left side of the taskbar.

1. To bring up the Settings window.
2. Click Customization & Taskbar to navigate to other options.
3. Then double-click Taskbar Behaviors to expand its settings.
4. Select Left from the Taskbar Alignment drop-down menu. After that, the Start menu will be left-aligned, as in the screenshot directly below.

Final note

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