Windows 11 25H2 Start Menu Redesign Brings All Apps Front and Phone Link

Microsoft has quietly begun turning on a dramatically redesigned Start menu for Windows 11 as part of the 25H2/24H2 servicing wave — a single, vertically scrollable launcher that promotes the full All apps list to the main surface, adds Category/Grid/List views for app discovery, and surfaces a Phone Link mobile panel directly inside Start — and Microsoft is delivering it via phased enablement so some machines will see the change before others.

Background / Overview​

For most of Windows 11’s life the Start menu remained a contested UI element: compact, icon-centric, and split between pinned items and a separate All apps page. Microsoft’s new design collapses those panes into a single, continuous surface intended to make app discovery faster and more phone-like — the All apps experience now appears as an option on the front page rather than behind a separate tap. The change was previewed throu optional preview updates in late 2025 and then widened to more users through Patch Tuesday servicing in early 2026.
This release is being distributed primarily as an enablement package (often called an eKB) layered on top of the 24H2 servicing branch, meaning the binaries were often already present on many devices and Microsoft flips featurerough small updates — a delivery method that reduces download size but produces a staggered, A/B rollout across Windows Update. IT teams and enthusiasts should expect inconsistent visibility across seemingly identical devices until Microsoft completes the gradual deployment.

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What’s changed: the new Start surface explained​

The redesign is more than a cosmetic tweak — it reorganizes Start into three primary areas and introduces multiple discovery modes:

• Pinned apps — a larger, denser grid of pinned icons that can show more rows/columns on high‑DPI or wide displays.
• Recommended items — the recent-files / suggestions feed remains present but can be hggles in Settings > Personalization > Start.
• All apps — promoted to the main Start surface and viewable in three modes: Category, Grid, and List. The Category view groups apps into buckets like Productivity, Developer Tools, Games, and Other.

Key UX details to note:

• The menu is vertically scrollable and generally taller than the previous Start surface; on many devices it consumes a large portion of the vertical space to present categories and pins at a glance. Early reporting shows variation by screen resolution and scaling, with some machines rendering the menu at roughly 60–and others appearing even taller depending on DPI and column count. Microsoft has acknowledged concerns about the menu’s footprint, but as of current releases it has not exposed a manual resize handle.
• The All apps view remembers your last selected layout (Category/Grid/List), so users who prefer density can revert to Grid or List while others may keep Category as default.
• A collapsible Phone Link panel is accessible from Start (a small device button), surfacing phone notifications, recentttery state, and even quick mirroring actions on supported devices. This tightens Microsoft’s cross-device continuity story and reduces context switching for users who frequently reach for their phones.

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Category, Grid, and List — how they work​

• Category: System-generated groups of related apps that aim to speed discovery for users with large application cataar automatically when the OS detects clusters of similar apps; they are not user-editable in current releases.
• Grid: A denser, icon‑first presentation similar to older Start layouts for users who prefer visual scanning.
• List: A classic alphabetical listing that benefits keyboard/search-oriented users.

The Category view is deliberately automated: Microsoft’s telemetry and user research indicated that grouping reduces hunting time for many users, but the lacediting has frustrated power users and administrators who rely on deterministic layouts for training or fleet consistency.

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Delivery and rollout: how Microsoft is shipping this update​

Microsoft has used several distribution vectors:

• Insider preview builds — initial testing and iterative feedback in Dev, Beta, and Release Preview channels throughout 2024–2025.
• Optional preview cumulative updates (e.g., KB5067036) — early non‑security preview packages that enabled broader testing among Release Preview Insiders in October 2025.
• Patch Tuesday updates — the January 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative update (reported as KB5074109 / builds 26200.7623 for 25H2 and 26100.7623 for 24H2) accelerated visibility for mainstream users, and subsequent Februarye.g., KB5077181) expanded activation to more devices. These security/quality updates often include staged feature flips that broaden the rollout.

Why this matters: because most feature binaries were backported or staged in servicing branches, many PCs already contain the code but won’t see the new Start until Microsoft’s feature-flag is enabled for that device. That explains the perception of a “gradual” rollout: identical systems can show different behavior depending on Microsoft’s staged activation and A/B tests. Enterprise administrators should not assume uniform behavior simply because images or ISOs are identical.

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Phone Link in Start: continuity that reduces context switching​

Phone Link is no longer just a separate app — Microsoft surfaced a collapsible Phone Link sidebar within the Start chrome. The panel exposes:

• Message previews and replies, grouped by app
• Recent phone photos (including iCloud‑synced images where supported)
• Call status and quick call actions
• A “Send to my phone” share target in context menus
• Single‑click phone mirroring on supported Android devices

This integration is lightweight by design and optional; the panel can be hidden and Phone Link remains a separate app if you prefer full-screen phone management. The feature is region- and device-dependent: Android users gain the most functionality, while iPhone support is more limited in some integrations.

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Privacy and personalization: hide what you don’t want​

One of the most requested changes from users was the ability to remove the Recommended feed that surfaced recent files, websites, and store suggestions. Microsoft added explicit toggles in Settings > Personalization > Start to:

• Show recently added apps
• Show recommended files in Start
• Show websites from browser history
• Show recommendations for tips and store suggestions

Toggling these off hides the Recommended area entirely and turns Start into an app-centric launcher, a move that should satisfy privacy-minded users and organizations that objected to mandatory recommendation nudges. Note, however, that disabling Recommended may affect related “Recent” surfaces (e.g., Jump Lists), so administrators should test policy impacts before mass deployment.

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The screen‑space debate: taller Start menus and low‑resolution screens​

The most visible friction point is the menu’s vertical footprint. Reports vary — on some devices the new Start covers roughly 60–70% of the vertical space; other observers reported menus approaching 90% on lower‑resolution or default‑scaled displays. That range depends on display resolution, scale factor (125%, 150% etc.), and column counts for pinned icons. Microsoft has said it’s aware of concerns about height and density, but there is no resize handle in current releases.
Why this matters in practice:

• Users on 1366×768 laptops, small convertible tablets, or vertical monitors will feel the menu is dominant and potentially disruptive.
• Multimonitor setups with mixed DPI scaling can produce inconsistent Start sizes across displays.
• Some interactions (drag‑and‑drop to pin, flyouts) may behave differently when the Start surface occupies most of the vertical viewport.

Practical mitigation: switch All apps to Grid or List for higher density, enable “Show all pins by default” to reduce clicks, or hide Recommended entirely to reclaim some vertical breathing room. For users who still prefer the old compact Start layout, third‑party tools remain the only supported path short of waiting for Microsoft to add more granular sizing controls.

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Microsoft’s stance on resizability and taskbar movement​

Two frequent user requests are (a) a manual Start resize control and (b) the ability to reposition the taskbar to the top or sides. Microsoft’s public posture through this rollout has been cautious:

• On Start resizing: Microsoft acknowledged user feedback about the menu’s large footprint but, in current servicing releases, has not introduced a freeform resize control and has indicated there are no immediate plans to ship one in the initial rollout. Multiple reports relay Microsoft saying the feature is under consideration but not planned in the near term.
• On taskbar repositioning: the Taskbar has been fixed to the bottom since Windows 11’s original release. Restoring full movement and resizability is an engineering project with compatibility, animation, and accessibility implications; reporting suggests Microsoft is prototyping and validating such changes but historically has resisted reintroducing movement without careful testing. Enterprises and power users should not expect broad taskbaStart resizing to ship immediately.

Because these limitations are deliberate design and engineering trade‑offs, users that need the classic Windows 10 Start or a movable taskbar must still rely on third‑party shell modification tools for the time being — at the cost of potential compatibility and update fragility.

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Enterprise impact and IT guidance​

Fility perspective the changes introduce both benefits and new tasks:
Strengths for admins:

• The enablement-package model keeps image management simpler — most binaries are in-servicing and activation is often a small package with a short reboot window. That reduces the burden of large OS re‑imaging when adopting 25H2 features.

Caveats and risks:

• Staged feature flips and A/B testing mean inconsistent experiences across the fleet. Admins should expect variation even within the same build numbers.
• The automated Category grouping and limited manual layout controls reduce deterministic configuration for shared or kiosk systems.
• Some toggles that hide Recommended content may change the behavior of other user-facing surfaces (Jump Lists, File Explorer recent items), and organizations with strict UX expectations should verify behavior in test images before broad rollout.

Recommended steps for IT teams:

• Pilot the enablement package (eKB) in a representative lab image and document Start behavior per profile.
• Use Group Policy and MDM controls to lock or disable features where possible; inventory any dependencies on Jump Lists or recent-file surfaces.
  3 to end users and provide short training or screenshots showing how to hide Recommended, switch All apps layout, or pin frequently used apps.
• If third‑party Start/taskbaidate them against the target cumulative updates and pause feature installs until vendors confirm compatibility.

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Alternatives: restoring the classic Start or moving the taskbar​

For users who cannot accept the new Start footprint or the lack of taskbar movement, established third‑party solutions exist:

• StartAllBack and Start11 — commercial products that restore classic-like Start layouts and provide taskbar repositioning options.
• ExplorerPatcher — a community project that restores many legacy behaviors, including vertical taskbars and older Start designs.
• Open Shell — an open-source Start replacement that can mimic Windows 7/10 Start styles.

Caveats for these tools:

• They may break or require updates after cumulative Windows releases.
• Enterprises should treat them as unsupported for managed fleets and prefer native Microsoft controls where possible.
• Security posture and supply‑chain considerations are relevant when installing community or commercial shell modifiers.

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Risks, edge cases, and unresolved items​

• Accessibility parity: early Insider feedback lists some touch and gesture gaps (swipe-up behavior, drag-and-drop) that reduce parity for tablet-first users. Microsoft has indicated work remains here.
• Category determinism: system‑controlled categories cannot be manually edited, which complicates training or scripted deployments that rely on predictable app placement.
• Regional and device limits: Phone Link features vary by device and region; iPhone support is present but more limited than Android in many integrations.
• Unverifiable tall‑menu claims: independent reports differ on exact percentages for menu height (some say ~70%, others report as high as ~90% under specific conditions). Because rendering depends heavily on display resolution and scale settings, any single percentage should be treated as illustrative rather than definitive. Users should confirm behavior on their own hardware.

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Practical tips for everyday users​

• If the new Start feels too large:
• Switch All apps to Grid or List to increase density.
• Turn off Recommended items in Settings > Personalization > Start to reclaim vertical space.
• Enable “Show all pins by default” if you prefer having all favorites visible without extra clicks.
• If you worry about Phone Link privacy:
• You can hide the Phone Link panel from within Start or uninstall/disable Phone Link from Apps & features; the panel is optional and not required for core Start functionality.
• If you manage devices:
• Pilot updates and capture screenshots of Start behavior for training materials; add a short note to your support KB explaining how to toggle Recommended and switch app views.

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Final assessment: strengths, trade‑offs, and who benefits​

Strengths:

• The redesign addresses a long‑standing usability complaint by placing the full All apps surface where users expect it, reducing clicks and making app discovery faster for many users. The multiple All apps views cater to different discovery styles (visual, list/search, or category-based). Phone Link integration brings useful cross‑device continuity directly into Start.

Trade‑offs & risks:

• The larger visual footprint and lack of resizability will frustrate users on smaller displays and those who prefer ultra-compact launchers. The Category view’s lack of manual control is a pragmatic trade‑off favoring automated discovery over power-user determinism. The staged enablement model reduces upgrade friction but complicates fleet consistency.

Who benefits most:

• Users with large app catalogs, high‑resolution displays, or hybrid phone/PC workflows will gain the most from the new Start design.
• Privacy‑conscious users and administrators who disliked forced recommendations will appreciate the new toggles to hide Recommended content.
• Tablet-first users and those on small or low‑resolution screens are the least well-served by the initial release and should adjust settings or test third‑party alternatives if necessary.

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Microsoft’s Start redesign is a meaningful correction of several pain points that have dogged Windows 11 since launch. It modernizes discovery, brings useful phone continuity into a central UI, and gives users more control over recommendations — but it also doubles down on certain design trade‑offs (big visual surface, automated categories, and a locked taskbar posture) that will leave a portion of the user base yearning for finer controls. For most users and organizations the pragmatic next step is to pilot the enablement package, adjust Start settings to taste, and document any third‑party compatibility needs before rolling the change to everyone.

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Source: TechJuice Microsoft Widens Rollout of Redesigned Windows 11 Start Menu in 25H2 Update

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft has begun a wider rollout of a dramatically revamped Start menu for Windows 11, delivering a single, scrollable launcher that brings the All apps list to the forefront, adds category-based discovery, tightens Phone Link integration, and—by design—uses substantially more vertical space than the Start menu we’ve grown used to.

Background / Overview​

Microsoft started testing the new Start menu in Windows Insider channels in mid‑2025 and published details on the updated design through its Insider announcements and accompanying preview builds. The redesign was included in optional preview packages (notably the November 2025 servicing preview) and has been staged into mainstream update channels over the past months. With the January 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative updates reaching more devices, the new Start experience is now appearing for many Windows 11 users running both the 25H2 and 24H2 releases.
The change is one of the most visible UI adjustments Microsoft has shipped for Windows 11 since its original launch: the Start surface now presents three clear areas—Pinned apps, Recommended items, and an integrated All apps view that can be presented as Category, Grid, or List. A small but consequential addition is a Phone Link button inside Start that opens a collapsible mobile panel so connected phones and their content are reachable without switching apps. Microsoft says the redesign is aimed at faster app discovery and more personalization; independent hands‑on reporting from testers and multiple outlets confirms the feature set and rollout pattern.

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What changed: design and features​

A single, scrollable Start canvas​

The old multi‑page Start (pinned + a separate All apps page) is replaced by a single vertically scrollable surface. That means:

• Pinned apps remain at the top, with more density available on wider displays.
• The Recommended feed (recent files, web suggestions, installs) sits below Pinned but can be hidden via Settings.
• The All apps list is promoted onto the same surface rather than buried behind a secondary page.

This single‑surface approach eliminates the “tap to switch pages” pattern and aims to let users reach anything in one motion.

Three All apps presentations: Category, Grid, List​

Microsoft offers three modes for browsing installed apps:

• Category view — apps are grouped into topical buckets (for example, Productivity, Developer Tools, Games). Categories are created heuristically and are emphasized visually.
• Grid view — a denser, alphabetically ordered grid optimized for visual scanning on wider displays.
• List view — a compact A→Z list for keyboard power users or those who prefer minimal density.

The Start menu remembers your last selected view so it reopens to the layout you prefer.

Phone Link integration inside Start​

A new mobile device button next to the Search box expands a Phone Link panel inside the Start surface. The panel surfaces recent calls, messages, and phone content (where Phone Link is paired and supported). This reduces context switching for users who frequently move between their PC and smartphone.

More vertical presence by design​

On many standard laptops and desktops the new Start consumes a larger vertical slice of the screen than the earlier design. Independent tests and reporting show significant variation across devices—some systems render Start around 50–60% of screen height, others push toward 80–90% depending on resolution, DPI scaling, and column counts. Microsoft’s responsive layout adapts to screens, but the increased vertical footprint is intentional to accommodate categories and pins on a single surface.

Controls for the Recommended feed​

Microsoft listened to user concerns about “recommended” content: the new Start offers Settings toggles under Settings > Personalization > Start to turn off the items that populate Recommended (recently added apps, most used apps, and recently opened items). Turning off these feeds can make Recommended disappear (or become minimal), letting Pinned apps dominate the surface.

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Rollout timeline and channels​

• Testing phase — Summer–Autumn 2025: the new Start appeared in Dev and Beta Insider builds and was widely covered by testers.
• Preview release — November 2025: Microsoft shipped the changes in optional preview KB(s) for the Stable Channel (community guides referenced KB IDs associated with those preview packages).
• Gradual mainstream rollout — January 2026 Patch Tuesday and subsequent cumulative updates: the cumulative rollups brought the Start redesign to many more systems (both 25H2 and 24H2 builds), though the feature remains staged and not immediately visible to every eligible device.

Multiple independent reports and Microsoft’s own Insider blog posts confirm the staged, server‑gated rollout strategy—meaning availability depends on build, hardware, and Microsoft’s staged enablement settings. Community tools and feature‑flag utilities (used by enthusiasts) have also been used to flip the redesign on earlier; those methods are unofficial and unsupported for managed environments.

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Why Microsoft made the change (and what it claims it solved)​

Microsoft framed the redesign as the product of research and iterative testing, aimed at reducing friction when launching apps and surfacing relevant content quickly. The company’s statements and internal blog material emphasize:

• Faster discovery without extra taps between separate Start pages.
• Better use of wide‑screen and high‑DPI displays by showing more content when available.
• Improved personalization through Category view and remembering user preferences.
• Tighter continuity with mobile devices thanks to Phone Link inside Start.

These goals align with the observed results: many users find it easier to reach apps and files in fewer gestures, and the Category view can surface frequently used app groups without manual organization.

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Strengths: what’s working well​

• Faster discovery — The single scrollable surface reduces clicks and taps. Users who previously had to jump to an All apps page now reach everything on one canvas.
• Flexible discovery models — Category, Grid, and List views give a choice between visual grouping and dense alphabetical lists, catering to both touch/visual and keyboard users.
• Better large‑screen behavior — On wide monitors, the responsive layout can show more columns and reduce the need for scrolling, turning Start into a genuine quick launcher for power setups.
• Phone Link convenience — Embedding Phone Link means common phone tasks are now one click away for paired devices.
• User control over recommendations — While Recommended still exists, official Settings and Group Policy options let privacy‑minded users and admins suppress suggested items without third‑party tinkering.

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Risks, trade‑offs, and user concerns​

• Screen real estate on smaller devices — The expanded vertical footprint has provoked complaints: on 13–14" laptops or devices with lower resolution and higher scaling, Start can visually dominate the screen. The often‑quoted “90% of screen height” is a measured observation from specific configurations; actual height is environment dependent and will vary across displays and DPI settings.
• No built‑in manual resizing — Microsoft has not exposed a resize handle or freeform drag to change Start height. That decision prioritizes consistent animation and layout behavior but limits user control. Reporting suggests Microsoft considered and declined to add manual resizing; however, public, attributable statements explaining the precise rationale are not consistently available—this point is best described as reported company direction rather than a verbatim official quote.
• No direct built‑in “classic” Start revert — The classic Windows 10 Start layout is not offered as a built‑in, supported option. Enthusiasts can revert via third‑party feature‑flip tools or third‑party Start replacements, but those come with caveats for managed or production systems.
• Staged rollout and stability friction — Staged enablement means some users see the change quickly while others do not. Early adopters who used preview builds also experienced bugs; the January 2026 Patch Tuesday cycle included emergency out‑of‑band fixes for several update regressions, underscoring the risk of deploying large UI changes too broadly without staged validation.
• Enterprise policy considerations — Organizations that rely on predictable screen real estate for kiosk, training, or locked environments may need to pilot and adapt policy controls; tooling that relies on specific Start layout behavior will need retesting.

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Enterprise and IT management implications​

For IT pros responsible for broad rollouts, the new Start menu raises several operational concerns and action items:

• Policy control — Microsoft provides Group Policy/MDM options to control Start behavior (for example, hiding most‑used apps or recommendations). Admins should verify which CSP/GPOs are effective for the installed builds used across their fleets and test expected behavior on representative hardware.
• Pilot first — Deploy the update in a ringed fashion: test/dev → pilot → broad production. Validate business‑critical apps, thin clients, virtual desktop images, and any automation that interacts with Start UI.
• Consider version parity — Both Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 are eligible for the redesign; confirm which builds (and cumulative updates) your devices will receive, and coordinate update deferrals if consistency is essential.
• Avoid unsupported feature flagging in managed images — Community tools that flip feature flags (e.g., ViVeTool) can enable the redesign early, but using those tools on corporate images or managed devices is unsupported and can complicate troubleshooting and compliance.
• Recovery and rollback planning — Maintain update/rollback playbooks. If you must remove the updated Start from managed systems, standard approaches include uninstalling preview servicing updates where applicable or restoring images—there is no single “undo” toggle guaranteed across builds.

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Workarounds and third‑party options (and caveats)​

• Hide Recommended using Settings or Group Policy — The supported method is Settings > Personalization > Start: disable Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, and Show recently opened items to minimize or remove Recommended content. For domain‑managed machines, equivalent Group Policy/MDM controls exist and should be applied centrally.
• Community feature flags (ViVeTool) — Enthusiast communities documented using ViVeTool to enable or disable the Start redesign earlier than Microsoft’s server gating. A commonly referenced feature ID in community threads is 47205210 (single‑ID enablement), and combinations of IDs were used in earlier previews. Important caveats:
• ViVeTool use is unsupported by Microsoft for managed or production devices.
• IDs and behavior can change between builds.
• Always back up and avoid running it on critical systems or corporate images.
• Third‑party Start replacements — Utilities like Start11 and others remain available for users who prefer a Windows 10‑style Start or deeper customization. These tools are commercial/third‑party and may not be suitable for locked or secure enterprise environments.

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Stability and security context: the January 2026 cycle​

The redesign’s broader appearance in January 2026 coincided with the Platform’s January Patch Tuesday cumulative updates. That cycle fixed many vulnerabilities but also produced several emergent issues that Microsoft addressed with out‑of‑band updates. The takeaway for readers: platform‑wide UI changes and large servicing packages can surface regressions, so staging updates and validating user workflows remains crucial.

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Accessibility and usability considerations​

Microsoft’s three‑view approach provides choices that can improve accessibility: a list view is helpful for screen‑reader and keyboard users who prefer linear navigation, while Category or Grid can help visual scanning. However, the increased vertical size could present focus problems for users who rely on specific screen areas or magnifiers. Accessibility teams in enterprises should test with assistive technologies and validate that recommended policy toggles and view changes behave predictably.

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Clear, practical guidance for users and admins​

• If you dislike Recommended items: open Settings → Personalization → Start and turn off Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, and Show recently opened items. That will largely clear the Recommended feed without third‑party tools.
• If you need to delay or control rollout in an enterprise: use Windows Update ring policies and pilot the cumulative update in a small, representative ring before broad deployment.
• If you want the redesign today and accept risk: community guidance documents outline how to enable the Start via feature‑flag utilities (e.g., ViVeTool), but this is unsupported for corporate devices and carries risk. Back up first.
• If screen real estate is a problem: switch the All apps view to List or Grid (denser modes) to reduce vertical stacking; consider using More pins layout (where available) to prioritize pinned apps over Recommended items.
• For admins: validate Group Policy/CSP behavior for Start controls on the builds you run. Test Remote Desktop, virtual desktop infrastructure, kiosk scenarios, and any automation that interacts with the Start experience.

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Critical analysis: what Microsoft gets right — and what it gambles on​

The redesign is a sensible evolution in terms of discoverability and alignment with modern workflows: promoting All apps to the main surface, adding category grouping, and making phone content reachable from Start are tangible usability wins. On large‑screen and multi‑display configurations the changes are clearly positive: more information density, fewer taps, and a PlayStation‑style minimal‑friction launcher.
But the gamble is one of control and expectations. Microsoft prioritized a coherent, animated, and predictable behavior model over offering granular manual adjustments such as a freeform resize handle or an official “classic” fallback. For many users this is fine; for others—particularly those on lower‑resolution displays, touchscreen tablets in laptop mode, or thin‑client kiosks—Start’s larger presence can feel heavy and intrusive.
There’s also an operational gamble: staging is intended to reduce impact, yet the larger January update cycle revealed how quickly broad changes can intersect with stability and security fixes. The company’s reliance on staged, server‑gated enablement is pragmatic, but it leaves IT admins needing stronger tooling and more explicit enterprise guidance to manage parity and user experience across fleets.
Finally, the choice not to bake a built‑in “Windows 10 Start” revert means Microsoft has ceded that user preference to third‑party tooling and community hacks—an approach that will frustrate power users who expect system‑level fallbacks.

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Verdict and recommendations​

The Windows 11 Start menu redesign is a meaningful UX refresh that delivers faster discovery and tighter phone‑to‑PC continuity. It is an attractive step for users with modern hardware and those who value fewer clicks and improved app organization. At the same time, Microsoft’s choices about automatic sizing, lack of manual resizing, and staged enablement create friction for smaller displays and enterprise deployments.
Recommendations:

• Users who like experimentation: try the new Start in a VM or on a non‑production machine first. Use Settings to tweak Recommended visibility and switch All apps view to List or Grid if vertical space is constrained.
• Conservative users and admins: pilot the January 2026 updates on a representative ring and validate business workflows before broad deployment. Use Group Policy and MDM to control Recommended/Most used items as needed.
• Power users seeking the old Start: evaluate third‑party Start replacements or community feature‑flag methods—but only on non‑managed machines after taking full backups and understanding the risks.

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The new Windows 11 Start menu is not merely cosmetic; it reshapes how users interact with app discovery on the desktop. For many, the result will be a welcome reduction in friction. For others—especially those constrained by screen size or corporate policy—the changes will require adaptation and careful management. Microsoft’s staged rollout and enriched Settings controls give administrators and users tools to shape the experience, but the absence of a built‑in classic option and the current lack of a manual resize control are notable constraints that will keep the conversation about Start menu design alive for months to come.

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Source: TechJuice Microsoft Widens Rollout of Redesigned Windows 11 Start Menu in 25H2 Update