Windows 11 Start Menu Redesign: Whats New and How to Enable or Revert

If you booted your PC recently and found a much larger, unfamiliar Start menu waiting for you, that sudden change is not a bug — it’s the new, redesigned Windows 11 Start rolling out to users now, delivered via optional servicing packages and staged feature flags that can make the appearance feel sudden and inconsistent across devices.

Background / Overview​

Microsoft has reworked the Windows 11 Start menu into a single, vertically scrollable surface that places your pinned apps, recent/recommended items, and the full “All apps” inventory on one canvas. The redesign introduces three distinct browsing modes for the All section — Category, Grid, and List — tighter Phone Link integration, and a responsive layout that scales with screen resolution and DPI. The change first appeared in preview packages distributed in late October 2025 and was included in Patch Tuesday servicing in November 2025; Microsoft is enabling the experience gradually via server-side gating, so installing the update does not always mean you’ll see the change immediately. This piece summarizes what changed, how to get it (and how to avoid it), what’s new under the hood, practical impacts on users and administrators, and the trade-offs — plus the safe workarounds and mitigation steps if the rollout causes trouble in your environment.

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What changed — the headline features​

The redesigned Start shifts from a compact, centered launcher plus a separate “All apps” page to a continuous, scrollable canvas. Key visible differences include:

• Single scrollable surface: Pinned, Recommended (optional), and All apps now appear on one page, reachable by scrolling rather than by opening a separate All apps pane.
• Three All apps views: Category (auto-grouped buckets like Productivity, Games, Creativity), Grid (dense, alphabetical tiles), and List (classic A→Z). The Start menu remembers your last chosen view.
• Pinned area improvements: Two default rows of pins (each row can hold up to eight pins on larger screens), with an option to show all pins by default and to collapse/expand the pins area.
• Hideable Recommended section: If you prefer a purely app-centric launcher, Microsoft added explicit toggles in Settings → Personalization → Start to hide Recommended content (recent files, promoted apps). Note: disabling some Recommended toggles can also affect recent-file surfaces elsewhere in the OS.
• Phone Link integration: A mobile-phone panel (Phone Link) can be expanded from Start to surface recent calls, messages, photos, and quick phone actions for paired devices; it’s collapsible but contributes to a larger Start footprint when open.
• Responsive sizing: The Start UI adapts to resolution and scaling; on many common laptop configurations it now occupies far more vertical space than the previous centered launcher. Multiple outlets reproduced Start occupying up to roughly 90% of vertical screen height in some configurations — an environment-dependent observation, not a fixed rule.

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Why Microsoft made the change​

This redesign addresses persistent feedback since Windows 11 first shipped: users wanted easier discoverability and fewer clicks to reach installed apps. By promoting the All apps index to the main Start canvas, providing multiple viewing modes, and folding in phone continuity features, Microsoft aims to make app discovery faster and the launcher more useful on larger and touch-capable displays. The rollout approach — shipping binaries in servicing updates and enabling features through staged server-side flags — lets Microsoft observe behavior and limit the blast radius of regressions.

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How the redesign is being delivered (what to install, and what to expect)​

• Microsoft pushed the Start redesign bits as part of an optional, non-security preview package identified as KB5067036 (late October 2025 preview builds) and folded the changes into November cumulative servicing (for example, KB5068861 in the November 2025 Patch Tuesday rollup). The updated Start is therefore associated with those servicing drops.
• Important distribution detail: installing the KB often places the necessary binaries on your PC, but the Start experience may remain dormant until Microsoft flips a server-side feature flag for your device. That is why some people see the change immediately and others do not, even on identical builds.
• If you want the redesigned Start immediately, options include:
• Install the optional preview update (KB5067036) from Settings → Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog and wait for Microsoft’s staged enablement.
• Opt into Release Preview / Beta Insider channels when those builds are available.
• Use community tools (e.g., ViVeTool) to flip feature flags locally — supported by enthusiasts but unsupported by Microsoft and carrying risk. Follow the vendor guidance and back up the system before using such tools.
• If you prefer to avoid the redesign:
• Do not install the optional preview packages and wait for the wider cumulative release, or
• Delay updates via your update ring policies (businesses) until the redesign is broadly validated, or
• Disable the feature via ViVeTool if you enabled it and want to revert quickly (again: unsupported).

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Hands-on details: what you’ll see and how to use it​

Layout and navigation​

• The Start menu is now a vertically scrollable canvas. Press the Windows key and scroll down to move from Pinned apps into Recommended (if enabled) and into All apps.
• The Pinned area sits at the top. By default you get two rows; larger displays will show more icons per row, up to eight. You can expand/collapse the pinned grid.
• The Recommended area shows recent files and suggested store apps. There’s a single toggle to hide recommended files and related suggestions — but beware of side effects (see next section).

All apps modes​

• Category view: Apps are auto-grouped by function (Productivity, Games, Developer Tools). It’s designed for discovery when you remember a task or category rather than an exact name.
• Grid view: Alphabetical tile grid, denser and better for horizontal scanning.
• List view: Traditional A→Z list for keyboard-driven workflows.
• The Start menu remembers the view you last used.

Keyboard and power-user workflows​

• List view preserves classic, deterministic alphabetical ordering for fast keyboard navigation (Win key → type first letters → Enter).
• Switching views is a few clicks (or taps) away in the All section; the OS restores your last choice so workflows remain stable across sessions.

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Known friction points and reported regressions​

The staged rollout helped limit widespread impact, but early adopter and testing reports found several pain points and bugs worth noting:

• Some installers that create Start Menu folders (e.g., multi-shortcut application folders) may not have their shortcuts appear immediately in the redesigned Start until Explorer or the system is restarted. That has been reproduced by multiple testers. This is an operational annoyance for installers and imaging workflows.
• The larger vertical footprint is jarring on laptops: multiple outlets measured Start taking a far greater portion of screen height (reports of ~90% exist), and when Phone Link is expanded Start can approach full-screen. Those numbers vary with resolution, scaling, and whether Phone Link is visible. Treat “90%” as an observed sample, not a guaranteed measurement for every device.
• Disabling the Recommended toggles can also disable Recent files in File Explorer and the Recent items in Jump Lists — a trade-off that some users may not expect. If your workflow depends on cross-app recent-file surfaces, test the toggle before committing.
• Early preview builds also surfaced unrelated regressions that were addressed in follow-up servicing (for example, a Task Manager background process bug that was later fixed in November updates). That illustrates the risk of optional preview packages on production machines.

If you’re an administrator, treat KB5067036 as a preview-level update for pilot rings; test imaging, installer behavior, and MDM/Group Policy interactions before broad deployment. Microsoft added new Group Policy options around Start pin provisioning to help with enterprise imaging scenarios, but those controls require validation in your environment.

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Security, privacy, and telemetry considerations​

• The redesigned Start includes promoted app slots (Microsoft Store suggestions) and recommended files that can surface cloud-backed suggestions. Users who dislike recommendations can toggle most of these off, but, as noted, some toggles have broader side effects (File Explorer jump lists).
• From an enterprise compliance standpoint, staged server-side feature flags mean that device exposure may differ across a fleet even when builds are identical. Admins should account for feature variability when documenting and training users.

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Practical tips: how to get the new Start (or hide it) — step-by-step​

• Check Windows Update for optional preview updates:
• Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. If KB5067036 (or the newer monthly cumulative that folds it in) appears as an optional preview update, install it. Reboot and wait — Microsoft may enable the feature after the device is selected in the staged rollout.
• If you want to accelerate exposure:
• Toggle “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” or opt into Release Preview/Beta Insider channels where preview builds and staged features appear sooner. This may be labeled differently depending on your Windows Update settings and Insider membership. Be aware that this moves you into preview update behavior.
• Use ViVeTool (unsupported, community method):
• Download ViVeTool, open an elevated Command Prompt in the ViVeTool folder and enable the relevant feature IDs reported by communities. Example commands widely circulated for earlier previews are similar to: vivetool /enable /id:XXXXXXX. Exact IDs differ across builds; verify the IDs for your OS build before using ViVeTool. This method can produce UI instability and is not recommended for production machines.
• To revert or avoid:
• Uninstall the optional preview package (if possible) or disable the feature with ViVeTool if you previously enabled it. For enterprises, hold updates in your update ring and perform targeted pilots.

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Third-party options and why some users will still switch away​

For users who prefer full control over Start appearance and behavior, third-party replacements remain popular. Tools such as Start11, StartAllBack, Open‑Shell, and shell-tweak utilities offer immediate customization and legacy Windows styles that Microsoft’s Start no longer supports.

• Pros of third-party launchers:
• Fine-grained layout and size control.
• Recovery of legacy Start behaviors (classic Start Menu, exact alphabetical lists).
• Faster rollback to an older experience on production PCs.
• Cons and risks:
• Compatibility with future Windows updates can be brittle.
• Some commercial tools are paid; open-source alternatives may require more technical setup.
• Third-party hooks into shell components can complicate troubleshooting and enterprise support.

If the redesigned Start creates real productivity loss in your environment, using a third-party launcher is a practical stopgap while Microsoft refines the experience — but plan for the maintenance burden.

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Assessment: strengths, trade-offs, and who benefits most​

Strengths (what Microsoft got right)​

• Reduced clicks to reach installed apps. Making the All apps inventory visible on the main canvas addresses a long-standing usability complaint and speeds discovery, especially for users with large app libraries.
• Flexible browsing models. Category, Grid, and List views give different mental models for discovery, which helps diverse user types (task-oriented vs. name-oriented vs. keyboard-centric).
• Device-aware scaling and Phone Link continuity. The adaptive layout and phone sidebar are logical steps toward a productivity-centric, continuity-first desktop.

Trade-offs and risks​

• Size and density decisions are fixed. Users cannot set arbitrary Start height; the UI adapts by heuristics tied to resolution and DPI, which some find too large. This removes an element of user control many power users valued.
• Staged enablement causes inconsistency. With server-side gating, identical machines may show different UIs, complicating support and documentation in organizations.
• Feature toggles have surprising side effects. Hiding Recommended content can inadvertently disable recent-file surfaces elsewhere in the OS, which is a real workflow regression for some users. Test before you toggle.
• Preview risks remain real. Optional preview packages can include regressions; pilot thoroughly before broad deployment.

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Enterprise guidance: rollout checklist​

• Pilot the update in a representative device ring (at least one imaging and one application-provisioning scenario).
• Validate installer behavior for apps that create Start Menu folders and confirm explorer shell refresh behavior.
• Document the new Settings → Personalization → Start toggles and test the interactions with File Explorer recent lists and Jump Lists.
• Update support documentation and internal training to reflect the new Start behaviors and the locations of common commands and system actions.
• If you manage updates centrally, hold the optional preview from broad distribution until validated; consider using Microsoft Update Catalog and staged enablement controls with feature management.

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Final verdict​

The Windows 11 Start redesign is a meaningful, defensible response to years of feedback about discoverability and click friction. For many users — especially those on larger displays, touch devices, or who like task-oriented discovery — the new single-surface Start will feel faster and more useful. For power users, enterprise admins, and anyone invested in precise UI control, the redesign introduces friction: unexpected size, limited manual sizing, toggle side effects, and a phased rollout that can make fleet behavior inconsistent.
Practically, the safest approach for most people is measured curiosity: try the preview in a controlled environment, test toggles that affect recent-file surfaces, and be cautious about using community tools on production machines. For those who need exact legacy behavior now, trusted third-party Start replacements remain the pragmatic path — but they come with long-term trade-offs around compatibility and manageability.
The shift is significant: Microsoft has moved Start toward a modern launcher model that borrows mobile-style discovery and cross-device continuity. That is a net positive in concept, but the execution — especially around rollout, size heuristics, and side-effect interactions — will determine whether this redesign becomes widely loved or just another polarizing Windows update.

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If your PC woke up with an unfamiliar Start menu, check Windows Update for KB5067036 or the November cumulative (KB5068861), review the Start toggles in Settings → Personalization → Start, and pilot the change before rolling it out across important systems.

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Source: Windows Central "What happened to my Start menu?" The Windows 11 redesign is here.

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft has begun rolling out a fundamental redesign of the Windows 11 Start menu that replaces the old two‑pane model with a single, vertically scrollable launcher, new “All apps” presentation modes, tighter Phone Link integration, and a series of adjacent taskbar and reliability changes — a staged, telemetry‑driven rollout that arrives in preview form via KB5067036 and entered broader servicing in the November cumulative (KB5068861).

Background​

Microsoft’s Start menu has been one of the most scrutinized parts of Windows 11 since the OS debuted. The original centered Start and separate All‑apps page earned praise for aested criticism for reduced discoverability and extra clicks—particularly from power users and long‑time Windows veterans. The current redesign is explicitly aimed at restoring discoverability and flexibility while making Start feel more at home on large, high‑DPI, and touch devices. The company shipped the underlying code for the redesign in an October 2025 optional preview (KB5067036), then folded it into5 cumulative update (KB5068861). Microsoft is not enabling the experience for every device at once; instead, it uses server‑side feature flags and staged enablement to activate the new UI for cohorts of devices so telemetry and stability can be monitored. That delivery model means installing the update may be necessary but is not always sufficient to see the new Start immediately.

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What changed — the essentials​

The Start redesign is not a skin‑deep tweak. It reorganizes how apps, pins and recommendations are surfaced and gives users three distinct browsing modes for the installed‑apps area.

• Single, vertically scrollable Start surface. Pinned apps, Recommended content (if enabled), and the full All apps list now live together on a single, scrollable canvas. This removes the earlier secondary “All apps” page and turns Start into a upport.microsoft.
• Three All‑apps views. The All apps section supports Category, Grid, and List modes:
• Category view groups apps into system‑generated buckets (Productivity, Games, Creativity, Communication) and surfaces frequently used items inside each group.
• Grid view is a denser, alphabetized tile grid optimized for horizontal scanning on wide displays.
• List view preserves the classic A→Z list for keyboard‑centric power users.
  The Start menu remembers your last chosen view.
• More granular personalization. New toggles in Settings → Personalization → Start let users hide the Recommended area entirely, turn off recently added apps, and suppress web/Store suggestions that previously appeared in the Recommended feed. These settings give users a clean, app‑centred alternative if they prefer minimal recommendations.
• Phone Link inside Start. A small phone icon adjacent to Search expands a collapsible Phone Link panel inside the Start chrome, surfacing recent messages,m a paired device. This tightens continuity between mobile and PC without launching a separate app. Availability may vary by region and device.
• Taskbar and system polish shipped alongside Start. The November cumulative introduced a larger, color‑coded battery icon with an optional persistent percentage, animated thumbnails, ander shutdown bug fix that prevented background Task Manager instances from lingering. Administrators also received a new Configure Start Pins policy boolean that allows policies to apply pinned layouts once at first sign‑in, then let users customize thereafter.

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Why Microsoft redesigned Start​

The change addresses three recurring user problems:

• Discoverability and friction. Many users complained the separate All‑apps page added an extra step to find and launch less‑frequent apps. The single surface reduces clicks and mirrors mobile launchers many users are familiar with.
• Screen real estate and scaling. Windows 11’s original centered Start sometimes left a lot of unused space on ultrawide/high‑DPI displays. The new layout adapts to display size to show more pins and categories on larger screens.
• Control over recommendations. The Recommended feed frequently surfaced recent files and promoted content, which some users found intrusive. The explicit toggles give users the option to return to a deterministic, app‑centric launcher.

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Hands‑on observations and behavior to expect​

Real‑world testing and independent reporting highlight a few practical effects users will notice immediately:

• The Start menu can appear dramatically taller than before on many configurations, in some tests occupying the majority of the display height. That increased vertical footprint is intentional: Microsoft wants a scrollable app drawer rather than a compact popup. Some users see Start use nearly the full screen when Phone Link is open. Expect the visual change to feel sudden if you’re used to the earlier compact layout. This sizing behavior varies by display, scaling, and whether Phone Link is present.
• Category grouping is system‑driven and not currently user‑editable. That means grouping behavior may surprise users who prefer manual control; Microsoft appears to have prioritized automatic categorization for task‑oriented discovery. If deterministic order is crucial, the List view remains available.
• Installing the preview package (KB5067036) or the November cumulative (KB5068861) adds the updated binaries, but vis server‑side. Two identical machines with the same update level may show different Start menus until Microsoft flips the enablement flag for a device cohort. Expect staged exposure to continue while telemetry is evaluated.

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What this means for consumers​

Benefits for everyday users are straightforward:

• Faster discovery for large app librarixpose everything.
• Flexible browsing — choose Category, Grid or List depending on how you work.
• Cleaner minimal option — hide Recommended entirely for a distraction‑free launcher.
• Better phone continuity — quick access to phone content without jumping between appse‑offs:
• The new Start is larger by design and may feel intrusive on small displays.
• Automatic category grouping is convenient for many, but it removes deterministic control for others.
• Staged enablement produces inconsistency; expect gradual exposure rather than a global flip.

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What this means for IT and administrators​

Enterprises and IT teams should treat this release as a visible UI change with potential productivity and support implications.

Risks and operational considerations​

• Inconsistent exposure across fleets. Because Microsoft uses server‑side gating, identical images may present different Start behaviours on different machines, complicating helpdesk troubleshooting and training.
• Group Policy / MDM interactions. Microsoft added an o the Configure Start Pins policy so administrators can provision default pins but then allow users to modify and keep them. Validate how this behaves in your environment, especially for kiosk or locked‑down builds.
• Accessibility and workflow impact. Power users who rely on precise, keyboard‑driven workflows should test the List view and consider documenting the change or providing guidance for switching views and hiding Recommended items.
• Preview vs. production risk. The October preview was optional and intended for testing; organizations that value cotrol should avoid installing preview KBs on production machines and instead wait for broad servicing after Microsoft validates telemetry.

Recommended administrative actions​

• Pilot early. Deploy KB5067036 or KB5068861 in a limited pilot ring that mirrors production configurations, including high‑resolution and touch devices. Confirm MDM and GPO interactionsnd any support fallout.
• Update support scripts and documentation. Document how to toggle Recommended off (Settings → Personalization → Start) and how to switch All apps views. Train helpdesk agents on the staged enablement artifact so they can explain why machines may differ.
• Test Start pin provisioning. Validate the new Configure Start Pins “apply once” flag in your imaging workflow to ensure the desired pin behaviour at first sign‑in.
• Consider rollback and recovery. Keep recovery images and a tested rollback plan. Optional taged features occasionally produce regressions; a tested rollback strategy reduces business risk.

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How to get the redesign (or avoid it)​

If you want the new Start now​

• Join the Windows Insider Release Preview channel (supported path) or install the optional preview update KB5067036 from Sate or the Microsoft Update Catalog. Remember that enabling might still be gated server‑side.
• Installing the November cumulative (KB5068861) is the supported servicing path as Microsoft folded preview items into that rollup; again, feature flags may delay immediate visibility.
• Community methods (unofficial tools like ViVeTool) can flip feature flags earlier, but these are unsupported and may break update compliance or cause instability. Use them at your own risk.

If you want to avoid the redesign​

• Avoid installing optional preview updates on production machines. Wait for Microsoft to enable the feature more broadly via normal cumulative servicing once telemetry is validated.
• Keep a strict update ring policy: defer optional and preview updates to pilot rings, and expose broader groups only after successful validation.

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User tips: control Start to fit your workflow​

• To hide Recommended content: go to Settings → Personalization → Start and toggle off recently added apps, most usedontent. This removes the Recommended pane and restores an app‑centric Start.
• To switchStart, look for the view selector at the top of the All section, and choose Category, Grid, or List. The Start menu remembers your last selection.
• If the new Start feels ing the Phone Link panel (if present) and disabling Recommended content to reclaim vertical space. Note: exact behavior depends on display scaling and Microsoft’s adaptive thresholds.

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Critical analysis — strengths and potential risks​

Strengths​

• Meaningful usability improvement. Moving All apps to the main canvas reduces friction and matches modern launcher mental models. For users with long app lists, startup and discovery are measurably faster in hands‑on reports.
• Choices for different workflows. Offering Category, Grid and List views is a balanced approach that can satisfy both casual, task‑oriented users and keyboard‑centric power users. The persistence of view preference is a thoughtful touch.
• Addressing longstanding feedback. Microsoft is responding to a consistent complaint by restoring a one‑action (Win key + scroll/type) pathway to all apps; that is a clear UX win for many.

Risks and weaknesses​

• Staged rollout creates variability. The server‑gated enablement model reduces risk for Microsoft but increases support complexity: identical builds can behave differently across an enterprise. Helpdesks must be prepared for divergent experiences.
• Large visual footprint. The new Start can dominate vertical space, and some users consider it too large on typical laptops, potentially interrupting workflows and creating a perception of regress. This is a subjective but legitimate UX concern supported by several independent outlets.
• Automatic grouping trade‑offs. Category view relies on system heuristics; automatic grouping is convenient but can produce unexpected organization thho prefer direct control. Microsoft currently does not offer an easy way to edit categories manually.
• Preview instability and ancillary bugs. Preview releases are meant to expose issues; the October preview included some regressions (for example, Task Manager behaviour reported in early installs). Enterprises should treat preview KBs as test artifacts, not production fixes.

Where claims lacked transparent verification (for example, precise percentages of users affected or exact timelines for global enablement) they should be treated as indicative rather than definitive. Microsoft’s staged flags mean the timing of any given device’s exposure is intentionally nondeterministic and may differ regionally.

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Best practices and next steps​

• Individual users who want the new Start should install the October preview or November cumulative and be prepared for a brief adjustment period; hide Recommended if the interface feels too noisy.
• IT teams should pilot the update in representative rings, validate pin provisioning, test accessibility scenarios, and update documentation and support KBs to reflect the new Start behaviour.
• Organizations should monitor Microsoft’s official KB pages and Message Center posts for targeted guidance, fixes, and administrative policy updates as the rollout proceeds. The KB pages for KB5067036 and KB5068861 contain the authoritative change summaries and should be consulted for exact build numbers and administrative flags.

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Conclusion​

The redesigned Windows 11 Start menu is a substantive UX shift that addresses the platform’s long‑running discoverability complaints by promoting a single, scrollable launcher with flexible presentation modes and closer phone integration. For consumers the change delivers practical gains in app discovery and control; for organizations it introduces a visible change that requires careful piloting because of Microsoft’s staged enablement and the potential for support variability. The rollout is deliberate — distributed by optional preview (KB5067036) and integrated into the November cumulative (KB5068861) — and while many users will welcome the improved discoverability, others may find the larger footprint and automatic groupings a frustrating departure from deterministic lists. Administrators and power users should plan pilots, validate policies like the new “apply once” Start pin option, and prepare user guidance to smooth the transition.

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Source: Sportskeeda Tech https://tech.sportskeeda.com/laptop...t-menu-windows-11-users-everything-need-know/