I've always hated the Windows 11 Start menu. For me, it's badly designed, clumsy to use, and difficult to customize. If you share my grievances, know that Microsoft has overhauled the old menu in an attempt to fix some of its weaknesses.
Now rolling out to Windows 11 insiders is the all-new Windows 11 Start menu. To play with this one, you'll need the latest Windows 11 Insider build on the Dev channel. If you are an Insider, here's what you'll find, as Microsoft describes in a blog post published Monday.
Also: How to replace your Windows 11 Start menu with a better alternative - including my favorite
One complaint about the Start menu is the small amount of space actually devoted to your apps. Viewing all your apps requires that you jump to a secondary All Apps screen. With the new menu, clicking All at the top unfolds a section showing all your apps without your having to move to another screen. You can scroll down the list of apps and easily open and close the All Apps section.
The new Start menu also displays your apps at the bottom. Here, you can switch between two views -- grid and category. Grid view shows you all your apps and folders alphabetically, while category view automatically arranges your apps into named folders, the same way Apple's App Library organizes apps on an iPhone and iPad.
Windows automatically creates specific categories when at least three related apps are available. Otherwise, they're placed in an "Other" category. Frequently used categories and apps appear near the top for quicker access. Though you can easily switch between grid view and category view, Windows will remember which view you last used.
Another problem with the current Start menu is the way it wastes a lot of space. The new menu uses the available real estate more wisely, with your apps and the grid or category view taking up most of the space.
Also: How to clear the cache on your Windows 11 PC (and why you shouldn't wait to do it)
Further, the size of the menu will adapt based on the screen size of your desktop monitor or laptop. On a PC with a small screen, the menu will display six columns of pinned apps and three columns of categories. On a PC with a bigger screen, you'll see eight columns of pinned apps and four columns of categories. Recommended apps will also appear unless you turn off that section, in which case it will essentially be hidden.
Each section will also automatically resize itself depending on its content. If you pin only a few apps, for example, the pinned section will shrink to one row, while the other sections will slide up to take up the available space.
Finally, the new Start menu has a partner, namely a screen for your smartphone. Nestled to the right of the regular Start menu, the new screen keeps tabs on your phone, displaying the current connections, the battery charge, and the name of anyone who's recently called or texted you.
Also: 6 things I always do after setting up Windows 11 - and why you should too
You can collapse the phone screen when you don't need it and then expand it when you do. Supporting both iPhones and Android phones, this new screen is now available in most markets but will reach the European Economic Area later in the year.
With the current Windows 11 Start menu such a mess, I use and have always recommended a Start menu alternative. Good choices are Start11, StartAllBack, and Open Shell. Will the revamped menu convince even a disgruntled user like me to give it a shot? I still prefer the traditional two-column Start menu of the Windows 7 days, but this new look and layout could grow on me. Try it yourself and see what you think.
If you don't want to install the Insider build, Microsoft will likely release the new Start menu to the regular build of Windows sometime this year.
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