Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 preview fundamentally reshapes the Start menu into a single, scrollable hub that promotes the All apps list to the main surface, adds two new browsing modes (Category and Grid), folds a Phone Link pane into the Start chrome, and ties Copilot and File Explorer more tightly into everyday discovery — a set of changes arriving to Windows Insiders now through a phased, controlled feature rollout.
Microsoft has been iterating the Windows 11 Start experience for more than a year, experimenting in Dev/Canary/Beta channels and flipping features on for select machines via enablement packages and server-side gating. The latest packaged preview appears as KB5067036 in the Release Preview Channel (builds 26100.7015 for Windows 11 24H2 and 26200.7015 for 25H2), and Microsoft explicitly calls the Start redesign a gradual rollout — not every Insider will see the same UI on day one. This update bundles visible UI changes with platform-level improvements and on-device AI features, so the Start changes are best understood as one visible face of a larger maturation in how Windows surfaces content and AI-powered actions. Independent hands‑on reporting and the Insider announcement line up on the core claims: a single, scrollable Start canvas; Category and Grid views for All apps; a collapsible Phone Link pane; and tighter Copilot hooks across the shell and File Explorer.
However, the preview cadence and experimental distribution mean the experience is still being tuned. Privacy concerns around recommendations and the breadth of Copilot hooks deserve careful attention from users and administrators. The staged nature of the rollout also raises short‑term friction for support teams as devices in the wild may not show the same UI simultaneously. For most users the result should be a faster, smarter Start that bends to how people actually work — fewer clicks, clearer app discovery, and contextual AI where it helps. For enterprises, the benefits are real but require pilot testing, privacy review, and imaging validation before wide deployment.
Microsoft’s narrative with this update is clear: Start is moving from a static launchpad to a responsive, personalized hub that surfaces the right signal in the right place. The change is not dramatic in a single headline gesture, but cumulative: layout choices, screen‑aware scaling, Phone Link convenience, Copilot shortcuts, and File Explorer recommendations together mark a meaningful step toward a more efficient Windows 11 desktop. Test carefully, toggle what you don’t want, and expect a gradual rollout as Microsoft collects feedback and refines the experience.
Source: findarticles.com Windows 11 Update Overhauls the Start Menu Design
Background
Microsoft has been iterating the Windows 11 Start experience for more than a year, experimenting in Dev/Canary/Beta channels and flipping features on for select machines via enablement packages and server-side gating. The latest packaged preview appears as KB5067036 in the Release Preview Channel (builds 26100.7015 for Windows 11 24H2 and 26200.7015 for 25H2), and Microsoft explicitly calls the Start redesign a gradual rollout — not every Insider will see the same UI on day one. This update bundles visible UI changes with platform-level improvements and on-device AI features, so the Start changes are best understood as one visible face of a larger maturation in how Windows surfaces content and AI-powered actions. Independent hands‑on reporting and the Insider announcement line up on the core claims: a single, scrollable Start canvas; Category and Grid views for All apps; a collapsible Phone Link pane; and tighter Copilot hooks across the shell and File Explorer. What’s changing in the Windows 11 Start menu
All apps on the main page: one surface to scroll
The most visible change is that All apps now lives directly on the main Start page, instead of behind a separate All apps page. The Start surface is vertically scrollable, placing Pinned apps, Recommended items, and the full installed-apps list in a single, continuous canvas. This reduces the old two-step flow to one motion and aligns Start with modern, mobile-style launchers. Early test footage and the Insider notes confirm this behavioral shift. Benefits:- Faster app discovery for users with large software catalogs.
- A single mental model for launching apps and accessing recent files.
- Better use of tall or high‑DPI displays.
- Higher vertical density can feel overwhelming until users adjust.
- Some long-time users may miss the explicit separation that made Recommended and Pinned feel distinct.
Two new browsing modes: Category view and Grid view
Microsoft adds two distinct browsing modes for the All apps list:- Category view — apps are auto-grouped into topical buckets like Productivity, Games, Creativity, Communication and so on. The system generates categories when there are enough apps to form a group and surfaces frequently used apps higher in each bucket.
- Grid view — presents apps alphabetically in a denser, tile-like grid with wider spacing for better scanning on widescreen, high-resolution displays. The classic alphabetical List remains available for users who prefer it.
Screen-aware layout and layout flexibility
Start now responds to display size and DPI:- On larger monitors you’ll see more pinned columns, fuller category rows, and a longer Recommendations pane.
- On smaller laptops the layout tightens to keep essentials visible without visual clutter.
Phone Link, Copilot and system hooks
Phone Link: a collapsible pane inside Start
A new mobile device button next to Start’s search opens a Phone Link side pane that surfaces calls, messages, photos and phone notifications without launching a separate app. This pane is collapsible and user-controllable; if you don’t need phone controls on your desktop they can be hidden. Reports and the Insider notes confirm the feature works with Android and iOS in most markets, with regionally phased availability (the EEA noted specifically for delay). Practical note: because the feature is gated in staged rollouts, some Insiders have reported that the Phone Link pane appears, disappears, or behaves inconsistently across reboots and machines — expected behavior while Microsoft A/B‑tests the experience. Community reports show troubleshooting often revolves around preview-channel variability and regional gating.Copilot deeper in the shell: Share with Copilot and Ask Copilot
Microsoft is weaving Copilot into everyday touchpoints:- Share with Copilot appears on taskbar thumbnail previews for open windows, enabling quick analysis or Q&A about on‑screen content via Copilot Vision.
- In File Explorer, hover actions add an Ask Copilot option alongside basics like “Open file location,” letting users query a file’s content without opening it.
File Explorer and taskbar tweaks that support the shift
File Explorer: Recommended files and Copilot actions
File Explorer’s Home now shows recommended files for both Microsoft accounts and local accounts, highlighting recent downloads, frequently accessed docs, and items in Gallery. Hover quick‑actions include Open file location and Ask Copilot. StorageProvider APIs are also exposed for cloud providers to surface their suggestions within File Explorer Home. These changes are meant to reduce context switching between apps and the file system. Privacy and control: recommendations in File Explorer can be disabled via Folder Options or Settings if you prefer not to display recent or suggested items on a shared device.Taskbar: colored battery icon and Copilot thumbnail actions
Small but useful changes:- The battery icon now uses color to signal status: green while charging/healthy, yellow at 20% or lower, and red for critical levels, with an option to show exact battery percentage in the System Tray.
- Hovering over taskbar app icons shows a thumbnail with a Share with Copilot shortcut for quick Copilot Vision actions — a convenience for creators and knowledge workers who want instant analysis of screenshots or app views.
Why this Start overhaul matters
- Reach: Windows 11’s installed base has been growing rapidly throughout 2025, and monthly StatCounter figures show the share moving from the mid‑30s to parity with Windows 10 in mid‑2025 and beyond — meaning any Start changes touch a very large audience. That share is fluid month‑to‑month, so quotes like “roughly one‑third” are now dated; real adoption figures should be checked against current StatCounter snapshots when planning deployments.
- Usability: The Category view is particularly valuable for enterprise environments where app sprawl and shadow IT make discovery difficult. Grouping by function reduces training friction and search time. For home users the single-surface model simplifies launching apps and finding recently used files.
- Competitive baseline: Third‑party Start replacements such as Start11 and Open‑Shell exist for heavy customizers, but the enhanced built‑in Start may be good enough for many users, reducing the market opportunity for replacements and raising the bar on what those tools must offer.
Critical analysis — strengths, trade-offs and risks
Strengths
- Single-surface efficiency. Reducing a two‑step flow to a single scroll is a pragmatic, measurable improvement for many workflows; studies and Microsoft’s own usability work consistently show that shaving steps improves perceived speed and task completion.
- Choice and persistence. The ability to pick Category, Grid or List and have Start remember it is a small but meaningful personalization that reduces churn for users.
- Tighter cross‑device and AI integrations. Phone Link and Copilot actions reduce app switching and put contextual assistance at point of need.
Trade-offs and potential risks
- Privacy surface area. Recommended files in File Explorer and Copilot hooks necessarily analyze usage or content to provide suggestions. While Microsoft provides toggles, organizations concerned with data governance and DLP must assess how recommendations interact with local policies and whether Copilot processing occurs on‑device or server‑side in their configuration. Admins should validate behavior on pilot machines.
- Inconsistent experience during rollout. Staged enablement and A/B testing mean two machines on the same build might show different Start experiences. That complicates support scripts, training materials, and screenshots for documentation. IT departments should plan phased pilots and capture telemetry before broad deployment.
- Auto-grouping without manual control. Category view auto‑generates groups when it detects enough apps, but early previews do not provide robust tools to rename, merge or manually curate categories. Power users and sysadmins who require deterministic layouts for kiosks or shared systems may find this limiting.
- Hardware and region gating for Copilot+ and Click‑to‑Do features. Some AI features remain gated by Copilot+ hardware, Microsoft 365 licensing, or regional restrictions, meaning experience parity across fleets is not guaranteed.
Unverifiable or partially verified claims
A few specific claims circulating in previews and community posts — for example, that Microsoft has made local account setup harder in onboarding, or that you can “manually set the default user folder name with commands” in a fully supported way — did not have clear, authoritative confirmation in Microsoft’s Release Preview notes or major independent coverage at the time of writing. Treat these as community-reported workarounds that should be validated before using in production imaging or provisioning scripts. Flag them for testing rather than assuming they are official behavior.How to get it and what to expect from the rollout
- Join the Windows Insider Program from Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and opt into the Release Preview ring to see the KB5067036 preview sooner.
- Check for updates and install the KB5067036 preview (Build 26100.7015 for 24H2, Build 26200.7015 for 25H2) if available on your device. The rollout is phased and may be server‑gated — two identical machines may not show the UI at the same time.
- After the update, switch between Category and Grid views from Start’s layout options; collapse Pinned or Recommended if you prefer a minimal launcher.
- If Phone Link in Start feels redundant, collapse or hide the pane from Personalization settings. If File Explorer recommendations raise privacy concerns, disable them in Folder Options or Settings.
- Start with a small pilot group and document any behavioral differences across device classes (Copilot+ hardware, non‑Copilot machines, region settings).
- Verify any imaging scripts or OOBE customizations against the new behavior (notably changes to .NET packaging and the optional components story in this servicing branch).
- Audit DLP and telemetry settings to ensure File Explorer recommendations and Copilot interactions comply with organizational policy.
For power users: customization and quick tips
- To try Category vs Grid: open Start, scroll to the All area, and use the layout control to switch views; Start will remember your choice.
- To reduce noise: Settings > Personalization > Start lets you hide Recommended files, recently added apps, and other suggestion types.
- To remove Phone Link from Start: use the Start personalization toggles or uninstall/adjust Phone Link settings if you don’t want the pane present on your desktop.
- To manage Copilot actions: Copilot-related quick actions can be toggled in Taskbar and Copilot settings; for enterprises, these settings can be controlled through policy once Microsoft advertises supported ADMX/Intune controls.
The enterprise angle: why IT teams should care
- Discovery and training: Category view can lower the support burden for users who struggle to find line-of-business apps or corporate tools — a measurable win for onboarding and training.
- Imaging and compatibility: KB5067036 represents a staged feature activation model; imaging teams must test both the presence and absence of the new Start UI when validating images, and watch for the .NET packaging change noted in the broader preview.
- Privacy & compliance: File Explorer recommendations and Copilot interactions must be evaluated under corporate policies. Ensure DLP and e‑discovery tools continue to function as expected when AI features are enabled.
- Pilot recommendations: Roll out to tightly controlled pilot groups (power users, help desk, developers) for 2–4 weeks, monitor telemetry and support queue metrics, then expand to broader cohorts. Keep training docs up to date with screenshots from devices that reflect the new Start behavior.
Final assessment — practical, overdue, and cautiously optimistic
This Start menu overhaul is one of the most practical — and long overdue — UX improvements for Windows 11. It answers the most common criticisms about the original layout (overweight Recommended content, rigid two‑pane navigation) while introducing sensible personalization and cross‑device features. The Category view in particular addresses a real problem: how to discover relevant apps in an era of app sprawl.However, the preview cadence and experimental distribution mean the experience is still being tuned. Privacy concerns around recommendations and the breadth of Copilot hooks deserve careful attention from users and administrators. The staged nature of the rollout also raises short‑term friction for support teams as devices in the wild may not show the same UI simultaneously. For most users the result should be a faster, smarter Start that bends to how people actually work — fewer clicks, clearer app discovery, and contextual AI where it helps. For enterprises, the benefits are real but require pilot testing, privacy review, and imaging validation before wide deployment.
Microsoft’s narrative with this update is clear: Start is moving from a static launchpad to a responsive, personalized hub that surfaces the right signal in the right place. The change is not dramatic in a single headline gesture, but cumulative: layout choices, screen‑aware scaling, Phone Link convenience, Copilot shortcuts, and File Explorer recommendations together mark a meaningful step toward a more efficient Windows 11 desktop. Test carefully, toggle what you don’t want, and expect a gradual rollout as Microsoft collects feedback and refines the experience.
Source: findarticles.com Windows 11 Update Overhauls the Start Menu Design
