Windows 11 Start Menu: a giant scrollable canvas reshaping your desktop

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Windows 11’s Start menu has quietly morphed from a modest launcher into a commanding, scrollable workspace that can now cover the majority of a laptop screen — a deliberate redesign rolled into recent servicing updates that is already generating praise for discoverability and sharp criticism for its size, rollout method, and side effects.

Background​

Microsoft delivered a major refresh to the Start experience through its October 28, 2025 non‑security preview (KB5067036) and folded the same changes into the November 11, 2025 cumulative (KB5068861). Those KB entries explicitly describe a reworked Start menu that promotes the full All‑apps inventory onto a single, vertically scrollable canvas, adds new presentation modes, and engages tighter Phone Link integration. This was not a tiny cosmetic tweak: the new Start design collapses the separate "Pinned" + "All apps" model into a single surface and adapts its density and column counts to screen size and DPI. Microsoft shipped the bits in servicing updates while phasing enablement server‑side, meaning installing the KBs may be necessary but not always sufficient for the new UI to appear immediately on every device. That staged activation model is important to how users are experiencing — and complaining about — the change. Independent hands‑on testing and community reporting quickly showed two concrete outcomes: the Start canvas can be substantially taller than the previous centered launcher on many laptops, and new integration points — notably Phone Link — can further expand the panel to feel nearly full‑screen in practice. Those field observations were reproduced and summarized by multiple outlets.

What Microsoft changed — the technical essentials​

A single, vertically scrollable Start canvas​

  • The Start interface now presents Pinned, Recommended, and All apps on one continuous surface instead of separating All apps on its own page. Scrolling exposes more content rather than switching to a new pane.
  • The All‑apps region supports multiple views — Category, Grid, and List — allowing users to choose grouping or density behaviors. The UI remembers your selected view across sessions.

Responsive layout and Phone Link integration​

  • The layout responds to screen size and scale; larger monitors show more columns and items, while laptops and lower DPI settings produce denser vertical stacks. This adaptive behavior is by design and intended to make Start feel populated rather than sparse on high‑DPI displays.
  • A Phone Link (mobile companion) control now appears beside the Start search field. When expanded, Phone Link surfaces messages, photos, and basic phone actions inside Start as a collapsible sidebar — increasing the Start panel's footprint if enabled.

Administrative controls and policy changes​

  • For IT, Microsoft added a Boolean option to the Configure Start Pins Group Policy that lets admins apply pinned layouts once (day‑0 provisioning) and then allow users to modify and persist their changes. This is significant for imaging and provisioning workflows.
  • The update delivery model bundles the redesign into servicing packages (preview/cumulative KBs) while controlling exposure using server‑side gating — a deliberate distribution choice that reduces blast radius but creates mixed behavior across identical builds.

How big is “big”? Verifying the 90% claim​

The most prominent complaint centers on perceived size: reporters on multiple sites measured the Start menu occupying roughly 90% of the vertical screen height on common 14‑inch 1920×1080 laptop configurations at 100% scaling after the November update, versus the prior 50–60% visible height. These numbers are environment‑dependent but were reproduced by independent outlets and community testing. When Phone Link is expanded, testers found Start approaches a full‑screen panel. Microsoft’s documentation does not publish a single pixel height for Start; instead, it describes adaptive layout rules and column counts. Therefore the "90%" figure is an empirical, contextual observation that accurately describes many real‑world laptop experiences but should not be treated as a universal constant across every resolution, display size, and scale combination. Treat the claim as reproducible in specific test configurations (14" 1080p, 100% scale) but subject to variation elsewhere.

Why Microsoft made this change — the design case​

Microsoft’s stated intent is pragmatic and defensible:
  • Improve discoverability. Putting the full apps inventory on the primary canvas reduces clicks to reach seldom‑used apps and surfaces recently used content more directly.
  • Adapt to large and high‑DPI displays. The older centered, sparse Start felt empty on bigger screens; the new canvas scales to make better use of space.
  • Offer flexible views for different mental models. Category and Grid views suit visual scanning and task-based discovery; List view preserves a compact, alphabetical workflow for keyboard-oriented users.
  • Bring Phone Link closer to the launcher. Embedding mobile continuity inside Start shortens the path to cross‑device content and actions.
These goals align with modern launcher design patterns seen on other platforms where a single, scrollable canvas replaces modal page switching. The trade‑off Microsoft accepted was footprint: the new Start will necessarily occupy more vertical space in many practical scenarios.

Real‑world impact: benefits and friction​

Benefits​

  • Faster access to the full app inventory without an extra click.
  • More customization — users can hide Recommended or choose List view to reduce vertical length.
  • Better use of large monitors and docked workflows where Start no longer looks empty.
  • Administrative provisioning control over pinned layouts helps enterprise deployments.

Friction and risks​

  • Screen real estate on laptops. On 13–15" 1080p systems the Start surface often consumes most of the visible workspace, creating the impression of a full page rather than a transient overlay. This disrupts workflows that relied on a compact, temporary Start pop‑up.
  • Server‑side gating and inconsistent UX. Two identical machines might show different Start behavior after the same KB is installed, complicating help‑desk support and training.
  • Associated regressions. The redesigned Start arrived alongside other shell changes and earlier optional previews reproduced regressions (for example, Task Manager leaving orphaned taskmgr.exe processes running) that were fixed later. Bundling UI changes with servicing updates increases the odds of collateral bugs.
  • Limited rollback. There’s no simple consumer toggle to revert to the older Start if Microsoft enables the feature server‑side for your device. Rolling back may require uninstalling updates or waiting for a policy control from Microsoft. That lack of a straightforward user‑facing rollback is a real support pain point.
  • Accessibility and muscle‑memory regressions. Any major reflow of the primary launcher risks breaking established keyboard, assistive‑technology, and muscle‑memory workflows unless thoroughly validated. Enterprises should include assistive testing in pilots.

Enterprise implications: testing, imaging, and policy​

For IT teams the Start redesign is more than a cosmetic issue — it’s a change to a core entry point of the desktop experience. The critical operational notes:
  • Pilot before broad rollout. Treat this as a substantive UX change. Pilot on representative hardware (laptops, docked workstations, high‑DPI monitors) and test provisioning and imaging flows.
  • Account for server‑side gating. Because Microsoft gates the feature, identical images may exhibit mixed Start behavior. Build support documentation that covers both experiences during the rollout window.
  • Use the new Configure Start Pins boolean carefully. The added Group Policy control for applying pins once helps day‑0 provisioning but requires testing to ensure the behavior meets your onboarding and user personalization policies.
  • Monitor Release Health and KB notes closely. Associated regressions (Task Manager duplication, File Explorer quirks) were discovered in early preview drops; keep an eye on Microsoft Release Health and the KB entries for acknowledged fixes and mitigations.
  • Document accessibility impact. Include screen‑reader and keyboard navigation checks in acceptance tests and gather feedback from users reliant on assistive tech.

Practical guidance: how to make the Start menu less “giant”​

If the new Start has arrived and feels intrusive, here are ordered, pragmatic steps (from safe to more advanced) that reclaim vertical space and restore a leaner workflow.
  • Hide Recommended content (safe, supported)
  • Settings > Personalization > Start: disable “Show recently added apps,” “Show most used apps,” and “Show recommended files.”
  • Effect: collapses the Recommended area, which is often a large contributor to Start’s vertical height.
  • Switch All apps to List view (safe, supported)
  • Open Start > Settings (gear) or Settings > Personalization > Start and choose the List view for the All apps area. List is the most compact presentation.
  • Adjust display scaling (moderate)
  • Settings > System > Display: experiment with Scale (e.g., 125%/150%) or resolution. Higher effective DPI compresses Start relative to the overall desktop.
  • Caveat: scaling affects all UI and text; test app layouts and readability after change.
  • Use an external monitor when possible (simple practical fix)
  • Docked, high‑resolution monitors show more columns and feel less dominated by the Start surface. For laptop‑centric users, docking is a reasonable mitigant.
  • Advanced / unsupported: community tools and feature flags
  • Enthusiast communities have documented ViVeTool and similar techniques that toggle preview feature flags when the servicing binaries are present. These are inherently unsupported, can break with future updates, and may complicate imaging, so treat them as last‑resort troubleshooting only. Flag: unsupported.
  • If you encounter orphaned Task Manager processes
  • Use taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f or End task in Task Manager’s Details view, and avoid closing via X if repros are present. Monitor Microsoft KB notes for the permanent fix.

UX critique: trade‑offs, accessibility, and muscle memory​

The Start redesign is a textbook example of the tension between discoverability and transience:
  • On large or high‑resolution displays the new canvas is clearly superior: it fills empty space with meaningful content, offers multiple views, and reduces clicks. That is a measurable UX win for users with many installed apps and for touch/tablet workflows.
  • For laptop users and people who prefer a fast, contextual overlay, the new default footprint can be disruptive. The design shifts the mental model from a transient launcher to a mini workspace, requiring users to re‑learn where things appear and how to dismiss them quickly. That friction is non‑trivial when the UI absorbs most of the screen visible area.
  • Accessibility testing must be broad and early. Major reflows can introduce keyboard‑focus regressions, screen‑reader verbosity changes, and unexpected tab orders. Enterprises and Microsoft alike should ensure assistive tech users are included in acceptance testing before any broad mandate.

The rollout method: pros, cons, and the support burden​

Microsoft’s choice to ship the redesign in servicing updates and gate the feature server‑side is a pragmatic engineering decision: it lets the company ship binaries quickly and then control the roll‑out to limit exposure. However, it creates practical issues for support teams:
  • Mixed experiences across identical builds: complicates knowledge bases and troubleshooting workflows.
  • Hard to document definitive rollbacks: once enabled server‑side there’s no consumer toggle to revert, making remediation awkward in help‑desk scenarios.
  • Correlated regressions from preview channels can land in servicing updates with wider reach, amplifying the perceived severity of UI changes. Early previews showed isolated regressions that required additional servicing fixes.

Verdict — who benefits, who should wait, and recommended next steps​

  • Beneficiaries: power users with large app libraries, IT environments that need better provisioning of pinned layouts, multi‑monitor and touch users, and anyone who values discoverability over minimalism. The new Start is a thoughtful modernization for these groups.
  • Cautious adopters: laptop‑first users, accessibility‑focused users, and organizations that cannot tolerate inconsistent UX across identical hardware. These users should delay mass deployment until the rollout stabilizes and relevant fixes/policy controls are confirmed.
  • Recommended actions now:
  • Pilot the new Start across representative hardware and accessibility scenarios.
  • Instruct help desks on both Start experiences and prepare quick remediation guidance (hide Recommended, switch to List view, scale changes).
  • Monitor Microsoft Release Health and the KB entries for acknowledged fixes and administrative policy updates.

Closing analysis: deliberate design, imperfect delivery​

Microsoft intentionally reimagined Start to be a more capable, discoverable launcher adapted for today’s range of device sizes and workflows. That boldness is a legitimate design choice. The problem lies less in the philosophy and more in the delivery: bundling a substantive UX rework into monthly servicing updates while relying on server‑side gating produced an uneven, and for some users, jarring exposure — especially on smaller laptop screens where the Start surface can feel overwhelmingly large. For most users the changes are manageable with supported settings (hiding Recommended, selecting List view, or adjusting scaling). For enterprises the change must be treated as a substantive desktop alteration and handled accordingly: pilot, document, and communicate. Microsoft’s approach solved one long‑standing complaint (discoverability) but introduced new trade‑offs (footprint and rollout complexity) that need careful, measured attention from both product teams and IT organizations.
The Start menu is company real estate: once its behavior changes, workflows and expectations shift. That means the real work now belongs to IT teams, power users, and Microsoft itself — to refine the experience, smooth the rollout, and ensure the redesign truly fits the broad diversity of Windows devices in the field.
Source: Inbox.lv New Problem: A Giant Start Menu Has Appeared in Windows
 
Click to expand...
Windows 11’s Start menu has quietly grown from a modest launcher into a commanding, nearly full‑page workspace on many machines — a deliberate redesign rolled into recent servicing updates that, in practice, can stretch to roughly 90% of a typical 14‑inch 1080p laptop display and has already sparked a flurry of hands‑on reports, user complaints, and IT cautionary notes.

Background / Overview​

The change arrived as part of Microsoft’s late‑2025 servicing wave: the Start redesign was introduced in the October 28, 2025 non‑security preview (KB5067036) and was folded into mainstream servicing with the November 11, 2025 cumulative update (KB5068861). Microsoft describes the update as a single, vertically scrollable Start “canvas” that merges pinned shortcuts, the Recommended area, and the full All‑apps inventory into one surface and adds several presentation modes and adaptive layout behavior. Early coverage from independent outlets and large community threads confirmed two operational realities: the binary that supports the new Start ships with the preview and cumulative packages, and Microsoft uses phased, server‑side enablement (feature gating) to flip the new UI on for devices in cohorts. That delivery model means installing the KB may be necessary but isn’t always sufficient to immediately show the new Start on every PC.

What changed: the new Start, explained​

A single, vertically scrollable canvas​

  • The old two‑step flow (Pinned area + a separate All apps page) is replaced by one continuous surface. Pinned apps sit at the top, Recommended content in the middle (optional to hide), and the full All apps index below — all on the same vertically scrollable page. This removes a click for many workflows and emphasizes discoverability.

Three presentation modes for All apps​

  • Users can switch the All apps area between Category, Grid, and List views. Category groups apps by function; Grid gives a denser tile‑style alphabetical layout; List preserves a traditional A→Z listing. The Start menu remembers the last view.

Phone Link integration and new chrome​

  • A Phone Link (mobile companion) control appears beside the Start search field; when expanded it surfaces phone messages/photos as a collapsible sidebar inside Start. On systems where Phone Link is available and enabled, the Start canvas grows further.

Admin controls and provisioning tweaks​

  • For enterprises, Microsoft added a Boolean setting in the Configure Start Pins policy so admins can apply a pinned layout at first sign‑in while allowing users to modify and keep their layout afterwards — an important change for imaging and provisioning scenarios.

The headline measurement: “90%” — what that means and how accurate it is​

Multiple outlets and testers measured the new Start’s footprint and reported that, on common laptop configurations (notably 14‑inch 1920×1080 at 100% scaling), the visible Start height increased from a previous approximate range of 50–60% to about 90% of the vertical screen area after the update. Windows Latest documented that measurement and PCWorld reproduced and contextualized it during hands‑on testing. Those reports also noted that enabling Phone Link can push Start to appear effectively full‑screen. That “90%” figure should be treated as an empirical observation, not a universal constant. Microsoft’s documentation explains the Start menu adapts its column counts and density to display size, resolution, and DPI settings, so the visual outcome varies widely between a 14‑inch 1080p laptop, a 4K external monitor, and high‑DPI screens. In short: the measurement is real and reproducible in specific test configurations but is heavily environment‑dependent.

Why Microsoft made the change — the design case​

Microsoft’s stated rationale is pragmatic: the old split Start left discoverability and navigation friction for users with large app inventories and felt empty on large, high‑DPI displays. The redesign aims to:
  • Reduce clicks to access installed apps by placing the All list on the main canvas.
  • Provide multiple view modes so users can choose density and grouping that match their workflow.
  • Make better use of large screens so the Start surface is informative rather than sparse.
  • Embed mobile continuity for people who frequently move content between phone and PC.
Those goals are defensible: consolidating the app index on one surface mirrors successful launcher patterns on other platforms and specifically helps administrators and power users who manage many installed apps. At the same time, the implementation trades increased discoverability for a larger footprint on many smaller screens.

Real‑world impact: benefits and notable strengths​

  • Faster discovery — One press of the Windows key plus a scroll often surfaces the app you want without toggling pages.
  • Flexible workflows — Category/Grid/List views let different mental models flourish (visual scanning vs alphabetical lookup).
  • Enterprise provisioning — The “apply once” Start pins option simplifies first‑sign‑in provisioning while preserving personalization.
  • Adaptive layout — On large monitors and docked setups Start will appear populated and useful, avoiding the “empty floating window” problem of earlier designs.
These strengths will be genuinely helpful for some audiences — imaging teams, kiosk use, power users juggling many utilities, and touch‑first devices.

Friction, regressions, and user complaints​

Intrusiveness on laptops and small screens​

Many users report the new Start feels like a full page rather than a transient overlay on 13–15" laptops, disrupting quick-look and multi‑window workflows. The perception is strongest on 1080p laptops with lower scaling where the Start canvas consumes most visible vertical space. Windows Latest and PCWorld documented these complaints.

Rollout inconsistency and support headaches​

Because Microsoft ships the bits in KBs and enables features in cohorts through server‑side gating, two identical machines can show different Start behavior after installing the same cumulative update. That inconsistency complicates help desks and device management. Microsoft explains the phased rollout approach in the official KB.

Collateral regressions observed during preview​

The Start redesign shipped alongside other UX changes in preview builds and, in some cases, uncovered collateral bugs: examples reported by community testers include app shortcuts not appearing until Explorer is restarted and unrelated shell oddities (for instance, duplicate Task Manager processes reported in preview builds). While many regressions were addressed over time, bundling significant UI changes into servicing updates increased the chance of rollout friction.

Limited consumer rollback​

There is no simple, officially supported toggle to revert to the old Start once Microsoft enables the new menu server‑side for a device. Uninstalling the LCU or waiting for a policy toggle are the primary fallback options, which is less convenient than a one‑click revert. Microsoft documents how the update is distributed and removed in the KB notes.

Practical troubleshooting and mitigation (safe, supported steps)​

If the new Start feels too large or intrusive, try these supported adjustments first:
  • Hide the Recommended area: Settings > Personalization > Start — turn off the Recommended feed to reduce vertical content.
  • Switch to List view for All apps: List is the most compact All‑apps presentation.
  • Disable Phone Link inside Start: click the Phone Link icon near Search and collapse or disable it to shrink the Start chrome.
  • Adjust display scaling: increasing scale on high‑DPI devices can change layout density in ways that reduce perceived Start height.
  • If the experience is unacceptable on production machines, do not install optional preview KBs on those devices; apply updates in a staged pilot.
  • For IT: pilot KB5067036/KB5068861 in a controlled ring and validate pinned layouts and provisioning scripts.
  • For home users: install the update and wait for server‑side enablement, then tweak the Start settings above; if the new Start is enabled and irredeemable for you, consider uninstalling the LCU as a last resort.

Unsupported and community methods — caution strongly advised​

Community tools and tweaks (for example, feature‑flag flips with ViVeTool or third‑party shell patchers) exist to force the old Start to reappear. These methods are unofficial, can break servicing, and may create long‑term manageability problems for enterprise images. They should be used only by enthusiasts in isolated test environments and never on production fleet images. Multiple community threads discuss these approaches and associated risks.

Enterprise guidance: pilot, policy, and communication​

  • Treat this as a substantive desktop UX change. The Start menu is a primary interaction surface; any permanent change requires user training, updated documentation, and communications plans.
  • Use phased rings: validate KBs and feature gating effects in an internal pilot before broad deployment.
  • Apply the new Configure Start Pins Group Policy in test images to confirm the desired pinned layout at first sign‑in and ensure provisioning scripts still behave as expected.
  • Monitor Microsoft Release Health and update guidance from Microsoft for any contravening known‑issue notes or out‑of‑band fixes.

Risks IT teams and power users should track​

  • Imaging and provisioning gaps: installers or provisioning scripts that assume specific Start‑menu behavior may produce unexpected results if Start delays listing newly installed app folders until Explorer restarts. Test installers in your image pipeline.
  • Accessibility and muscle memory: keyboard shortcuts and assistive‑technology workflows may behave differently; test with assistive tools to ensure continuity.
  • Help‑desk load: staggered rollouts can increase support tickets as some users see the new Start and others do not. Plan for knowledge base updates and templated responses.
  • Regressions: keep an eye on Microsoft’s KB updates and community reports for any new shell regressions that may emerge from further changes.

What the coverage and community chatter say (verification and cross‑checks)​

The core measurement and complaints reported by Inbox.lv and summarized in wider publications trace back to an original hands‑on by Windows Latest (Abhijit MB) showing a 90% Start height on a 14‑inch 1080p laptop — a claim corroborated by PCWorld’s independent testing and reproduced in multiple community threads. Microsoft’s official KB confirms the feature set and staged rollout model but does not publish an exact pixel height for Start, reinforcing that the “90%” claim is an empirical observation for specific test configurations rather than an invariant metric. Multiple archived forum summaries and internal hands‑on notes stored in community threads likewise document the timeline (preview KB on October 28, 2025; cumulative on November 11, 2025), the introduction of Category/Grid/List views, and the emergence of related regressions during preview testing — all of which triangulate the reporting across independent outlets and Microsoft documentation.

Final assessment and recommendations​

This Start redesign is a deliberate shift in how Microsoft approaches the primary app launcher: it trades a compact overlay for a more discoverable, content‑rich, responsive canvas. For many users, especially on larger or touch‑centric displays, that’s an improvement. For others — particularly owners of 13–15" laptops with 1080p screens — the new Start can feel like an intrusive, near full‑screen panel that breaks established workflows.
  • If you prefer stability and predictability: defer optional preview updates, pilot KBs in a controlled ring, and communicate changes before broad rollout.
  • If you want the benefits of the new Start but dislike its default footprint: hide Recommended, switch to List view, disable Phone Link in Start, and experiment with display scaling in a test session.
  • If you administer fleets: test provisioning scripts with the new Configure Start Pins policy and track Microsoft Release Health for any fixes or mitigations.
Microsoft designed the new Start to be adaptive and, in many contexts, more useful. The trade‑offs are legitimate and measurable; the appropriate response is not alarmism but practical triage — test, configure, and educate. The staged rollout model means users and admins may see the new Start at different times; treat this as the next major UX wave in Windows 11 and plan accordingly.
Windows 11’s Start menu is no longer the little overlay it once was. It’s now a deliberate, full‑page design choice that will be exactly right for some people and clearly wrong for others — and that split is precisely why careful rollout, clear admin controls, and sensible user guidance matter more than ever.
Source: Inbox.lv New Problem: A Giant Start Menu Has Appeared in Windows
 
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