All articles tagged with #start menu
Microsoft’s September 2026 Windows 11 update introduces three customization options—move the Taskbar to the top, resize and personalize the Start menu, and disable web results from Windows Search—along with broader Search and indexing tweaks, with features rolling out gradually to devices.
Windows 11 is getting a major update that brings a movable taskbar, a redesigned Start menu, and performance boosts, prompting Windows Central to ask whether these changes merit labeling it Windows 12. The piece notes that, while UI updates are rolling out, the kernel remains largely the same, fueling questions about branding and the potential AI-focused direction of a hypothetical Windows 12. It also references Windows 11’s controversial launch and the broader shift under Microsoft’s K2 initiative, suggesting future versions should focus on resolving core issues rather than a name change.
Microsoft confirms major Windows 11 Taskbar and Start Menu updates—movable/resizable Taskbar and a configurable Start menu—are in the final Release Preview phase and expected to roll out publicly later this month (to users who enable Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available) and to everyone else next month, with a phased, wave-based rollout and ongoing quality-of-life improvements planned.
Windows Central’s guide walks through seven practical tweaks to cut visual clutter and interruptions in Windows 11: disable lock‑screen widgets, hide the Widgets icon from the taskbar, enable Do Not Disturb, remove Start menu content recommendations, turn off web highlights in Windows Search, disable taskbar badges, and hide desktop icons. These changes let the OS run in the background, letting you focus on work and only be alerted when something truly matters.
Windows Central reports that Microsoft is rolling out five major Windows 11 improvements this year as part of its Windows K2 effort: smarter Windows Update that batches driver/framework/security updates and lets users restart only once a month (with a postponable restart option); fewer ads and AI prompts across Widgets, Search, and the Start menu; a trimming of Copilot UI to fewer surfaces; notable performance boosts via a new Low Latency Profile and System Composer to reduce latency and memory use; and a more customizable Start/Taskbar with repositioning and the ability to hide certain sections. Some changes are shipping now or in preview, with Microsoft aiming to bring most updates by the end of 2026 (some possibly in 2027).
Microsoft’s July Windows 11 Insider updates introduce a slate of refinements: Windows Search now auto-discovers additional locations based on activity, Phone Link previews get easier, and adaptive hibernate policies optimize power. File Explorer gains performance boosts, Widgets get updated icons, and the overall update flow is becoming less disruptive with a unified monthly reboot. Start Menu customization, Taskbar positioning, and refreshed Account/ Narrator features also arrive, reflecting a broader push to align Insider channels ahead of a broader release. The changes are mostly incremental rather than groundbreaking, as Microsoft tightens consistency across builds.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 26H2 update arriving this fall focuses on practical tweaks to Start, Taskbar, and Search: you can finally move the Taskbar to any edge (top, bottom, left, or right) with layout adjustments for each position, plus a smaller Taskbar option; the Start menu gains preset sizes, lets you toggle visibility of Pinned/Recent/All, and lets you separate file recommendations from system recommendations, plus a new screen-sharing privacy option to hide account details; Windows Search gets a redesigned home, more precise results that prioritize local content, new controls to turn off web and Store results, improved misspelling handling, and a taller search box. The changes are part of ongoing monthly updates rather than a full redesign, and some features may appear in 25H2 as they’re rolled out.
Microsoft is testing a four-pixel increase to the Windows 11 Start menu search box in a preview build, a tiny UI tweak that underscores a broader Windows K2 effort to fix long-standing design inconsistencies and create a more cohesive, polished Windows experience (potentially aligning with Copilot Search).
Microsoft’s Windows 11 version 26H2 is arriving as a small enablement package in the second half of 2026. In the Windows Insider Experimental channel it adds seven practical features intended to give users more control and smoother daily use: an optional Ask Copilot integrated into Search, a more customizable Taskbar, a redesigned Start menu with flexible sizing and layout, the option to disable web results in Windows Search, expanded Windows Update controls (calendar-based pause and reduced reboots), Administrator Protection to harden elevated tasks with Windows Hello, and a modern, optional Run dialog with a broader, recent-commands view. These changes roll out gradually and become part of the supported release once enabled.
Windows 11’s Start Menu has completed the latest rollout for versions 24H2 and 25H2, introducing a scrollable single‑page layout, an All Apps category view, and an option to hide the Recommended section. Future 2026 updates will add per‑section visibility toggles and a resize feature with Small/Large presets, all under a new JSON‑based configuration that admins can push via Group Policy or CSPs. In the meantime, users can tweak settings in Settings > Personalization > Start, while admins can enforce layouts with gpedit.msc and gpupdate /force. Microsoft also aims to improve performance with a Low Latency Profile and a WinUI‑based rewrite of the Start Menu, though a public date for that rebuild hasn’t been announced; the 26H2 release is expected later in 2026.
Microsoft is testing two methods to resize the Windows 11 taskbar: a new taskbar-size setting that reduces the entire bar (and scales icons) and the existing option to shrink only the icons, effectively giving users more control than Windows 10. The article notes these changes accompany other upcoming tweaks like a movable taskbar, Start menu size options, and efforts to remove ads from Start.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 introduces a redesigned Start menu with extensive customization: you can independently show/hide Pinned, Recent, and All sections, switch Recommended to Recent, enable a real-time Recent view, hide the user name and profile picture, and choose from three predefined Start menu sizes (including a smaller option); All apps can be viewed in Grid or List and you can disable sections to reduce whitespace. Freeform resizing remains unavailable. Microsoft is boosting responsiveness with the Low Latency Profile and is rebuilding core Windows components with native WinUI 3 to deliver a faster Start menu, though the full native Start menu isn’t done yet.
Windows 11’s Low Latency Profile, part of the May 2026 optional update (KB5089573/Build 26200.8524), briefly boosts CPU frequency to speed up app launches and Start Menu actions. It’s disabled by default and must be enabled via optional updates or tools like ViveTool, with rollout to broad availability planned for June.
Microsoft is rolling out an Insider Preview (Build 26300.8493) that reinstates a resizable taskbar and configurable Start menu on Windows 11, letting users move the taskbar to the top or sides, enable smaller icons, and tailor Start menu content and size, while maintaining a list of recently installed apps; the company also teases a modern Run dialog and broader performance and UX improvements.
Microsoft is rolling out full Windows 11 taskbar and Start Menu customization to Windows Insider participants in the Experimental channel, allowing the Taskbar to be moved to top, bottom, left, or right with per-position alignment and smaller icons, plus a revamped Start Menu with adjustable sizes and toggleable sections (Pinned, Recent, All) and privacy options. Start’s file recommendations are now separated from File Explorer’s recent items, and the Recent area is renamed from Recommended. The updates are set to reach 24H2/25H2/26H1 users in coming weeks.