Windows 11 25H2 Start Menu Redesign: Innovation or Restriction?

Microsoft’s vision of the PC interface has always centered on the Start menu—a gateway to productivity, entertainment, and daily routines for over a billion users worldwide. With the Windows 11 25H2 update on the horizon, the Start menu is set to undergo one of its biggest changes in recent years. Microsoft’s new design ambitions, revealed in public test builds and confirmed through company statements, introduce categorized layouts that promise a cleaner and more intuitive approach to finding apps. Yet, as excitement brews around the metamorphosis, a core limitation is stirring frustration and debate in the Windows community. The inability to fully customize these categories, and the lack of control over app placements, is prompting some to wonder: Is this redesign a leap forward—or a misstep in Windows’ storied journey of user empowerment?

Windows 11’s New Start Menu: Redesigned, Categorized, and Controversial​

For decades, the Start menu has oscillated between simplicity and complexity, from the linear lists of Windows 95 and XP to the touch-centric tiles of Windows 8, and the return to a hybrid form in Windows 10 and 11. The latest iteration, now in active development for the 25H2 feature update, reimagines the All Apps section with a choice between a compact alphabetical grid and a brand new “category view.” This approach intends to solve an enduring pain point—endless scrolling just to find the app you need.

How the New Category View Works​

The new category view divides installed apps into predefined groups—such as Games, Productivity, Creativity, Social, and Utilities—each visually separated into boxes on the Start menu. For each group, up to four icons of your most-used apps are visible upfront, while opening the category reveals the full set within that group. The goal is clear: to improve speed and efficiency, enabling users to intuitively locate the right tool with less effort.
Early press hands-on and user feedback, as reported by outlets like TechRadar and Windows Latest, suggest this approach could be a step in the right direction—especially for those who install a large suite of applications and want a tidier experience. Yet, the devil lies in the details, and it’s here that Microsoft’s design decisions are raising eyebrows.

The Customization Conundrum​

Microsoft has confirmed that these categories are strictly managed by Windows itself. Users cannot rename categories, move apps between them, or create their own personalized groups—at least, not in the current preview builds. For example, if the system doesn’t recognize an application or it cannot confidently assign it, it falls into a default “Other” category. Similarly, a solitary creativity app like Paint will get bumped into ‘Other’ if there aren’t at least three apps for that category on your device.
Such rigidity is, for many, a significant regression in personalization. The appeal of Windows has long been its flexibility: the ability to tailor folders, pin Start tiles, drag icons, and mold the workspace to fit unique habits. The new Start menu, as it stands now, puts Microsoft in full control of which apps appear where, with no drag-and-drop ability to shuffle items or override system choices.
This is not a mere quibble. Power users and IT professionals alike know the value of having quick access to mission-critical apps or grouping niche tools according to specialized workflows. Parents might want an “Education” category for kids’ software; creators might bundle together their set of Adobe and Affinity apps, separate from Microsoft’s own picks. By enforcing a closed set of system-curated categories, Microsoft risks alienating its most devoted and creative base of users.

Why Did Microsoft Make This Choice?​

Peering beneath the surface, several factors explain Microsoft’s conservative approach. The company is likely cautious about interface complexity: past experiments with deep customization—like live tiles and tiles folders in Windows 8 and 10—often confused mainstream users or went unused, leading to low adoption and maintenance headaches. Furthermore, curated categories support consistency across devices, which is vital for organizations managing large PC fleets and maintaining user support standards.
There’s also the potential influence of telemetry data. Microsoft collects vast anonymized data on how features are used, and it may be betting that a streamlined, “it just works” Start menu reduces support calls, onboarding friction, and cognitive overload for the bulk of its install base.
But these benefits must be weighed against the interests of power users and enthusiasts who have historically championed Windows as a customizable, open platform.

User Feedback: Frustration and Hope for a Course Correction​

The backlash has been swift and vocal on forums, social media, and comment sections. Many users point out that manual curation represents a “basic piece of functionality”—one that’s present in rival operating systems. Android app drawers, for example, let users create custom folders and sort apps. Even within Windows, the ability to drag and organize icons is a time-honored standard.
A particularly sore point is the immutable nature of Microsoft’s categories. Suppose the system misclassifies a work app as a Game, or dumps a novel note-taking program into “Other.” There is currently no recourse, leaving users with little agency to correct mistakes or optimize their workflow.
Microsoft, for its part, continues to emphasize that its design decisions are informed by user feedback, suggesting that the final release may see enhanced flexibility if enough users demand it. The company’s public roadmap and blog posts for Windows Insiders regularly highlight openness to change, especially during early preview periods.
For now, though, insiders and testers are left with categories that can’t be altered, and a gnawing sense that the Start menu, while visually refreshed, is less adaptable than many hoped.

A History of Start Menu Evolution—and User Control​

To appreciate what’s at stake, it helps to reflect on the Start menu’s storied past. Microsoft’s interface philosophy has swung between tight control and open customization for years.

• Windows 95–XP: The “All Programs” list offered strictly alphabetized folders and subfolders—effective, but often cluttered.
• Windows Vista–7: Search became a first-class feature, yet folder organization remained possible, letting users handcraft their menu structure.
• Windows 8–8.1: The Modern UI experimental design favored live tiles, full-screen grids, and grouping, but alienated users with abrupt changes and forced workflows.
• Windows 10: A blended approach brought back the classic Start button, offered pinned tiles and folders, and allowed basic customization.
• Windows 11 (pre-25H2): Sought elegance via simplicity, emphasizing pinning and search but stripping some advanced options.

Now, with categorized layouts, Microsoft appears to be doubling down on system-driven organization—hoping to provide clarity but risking user disengagement.

Comparing to the Competition: Customization in Modern Operating Systems​

Microsoft is not alone in wrestling with interface customization. Apple’s macOS and iOS permit a degree of flexibility through folders, stacks, and Spotlight, while Android’s open nature allows the creation of user-defined groups and app folders. Chrome OS, though more limited, still gives users direct control over pinned apps and search.
What stands out across these platforms is a trend: successful operating systems empower users to blend automation with personal freedom. Rigid categorization, especially if prone to misclassification or limited discoverability, is rarely seen as the best of both worlds.
With Windows 11’s new Start menu, the absence of drag-and-drop, category editing, or manual assignment feels at odds with this industry direction. This is especially puzzling given Microsoft’s rich pedigree of supporting both consumer simplicity and professional control.

Notable Strengths: Usability and Efficiency Gains​

Despite shortcomings in flexibility, it would be a mistake to dismiss the new Start menu’s innovations outright.

• Faster Access: The “most used” apps per category surface core tools instantly, reducing the need for scrolling or searching.
• Cleaner Visuals: Binned categories eliminate long, overwhelming lists—especially valuable for new users acclimating to Windows.
• Scalability: For laptops and tablets, where screen real estate is precious, grouped layouts help maintain a sense of order.
• Onboarding: Enterprise and education deployments will benefit from predictable, guided app location—a boon for helpdesk teams and students.

Preliminary feedback suggests that users with a moderate number of apps, or those content to rely on search, may find the experience frictionless and even delightful.

Potential Risks: Alienation, Workflow Disruption, and Hidden Friction​

But for every gain, risks and weaknesses surface:

• User Alienation: Longtime Windows fans, power users, and IT professionals may see their workflow stifled by forced categories that don’t map to their mental models.
• Misclassification: Automated sorting inevitably produces errors, and the inability to reassign or override these undermines trust.
• Inflexibility: Edge cases (for example, niche business apps or tools with no clear category) become harder to surface and locate.
• Perceived Regression: Removing or limiting existing features risks negative publicity and lowered satisfaction scores.

These pitfalls are not theoretical. History abounds with examples—Windows 8’s controversial Start Screen most infamously—where prioritizing simplicity for newcomers created backlash among the core user base.

What Should Microsoft Do Next?​

The challenge before Microsoft is to strike a balance between elegant, approachable design and the customizable power that has long defined Windows. Pathways to improvement are clear:

• Allow Category Editing: Even a basic “Create a New Category” or “Rename” function would vastly improve user agency.
• Enable Drag-and-Drop: Letting users move apps between groups would reduce misclassification pain.
• Surface Feedback: Microsoft should provide easy ways for users to report category errors and suggest system improvements.
• Offer a “Classic” Option: Some users may wish to revert to the standard alphabetical list permanently—this should remain available.
• Iterate Based on Data: Telemetry and A/B testing, already foundational to Windows feature development, should continue to inform iterative upgrades.

There is precedent for this kind of course correction. Microsoft has, in the past, re-enabled beloved features—like the Return of the Start button in Windows 8.1—when community voices became too loud to ignore.

Conclusion: A Promising Reinvention, Clouded by Control​

The Start menu is the heart of the modern PC experience, and any attempt to rethink its structure will generate strong opinions. Microsoft’s new categorized layouts in Windows 11 25H2 show a real commitment to usability and uncluttered design. For many, the update will feel faster and more organized.
Yet, as it stands, the persistent lack of customization means the new Start menu falls short of Windows’ legacy as the most adaptable desktop platform. By keeping categories locked and forbidding personalization, Microsoft is gambling on a simplified vision that risks leaving its most passionate advocates behind.
There is hope: With the update still in preview and user feedback gathering momentum, Microsoft may still inject flexibility before the final release. Until those changes come, Windows enthusiasts, power users, and productivity-first professionals are justified in pushing for a Start menu that belongs to everyone—not just the algorithms.
As the next era of Windows 11 draws near, the world will watch to see if the Start menu’s fresh start is truly a new beginning—or simply another chapter in the long, winding story of interface compromise.

---

Source: TechRadar Windows 11’s new Start menu comes up short in a key way - but I’m hopeful Microsoft will fix it