Windows · Personalization

Customize the Start Menu

Start menu settings let you control which folders appear next to the power button, how many pinned app rows and recommended file rows show, and whether recently added or most-used apps surface automatically. It's where you shape the layout you see every time you click Start.

How to open Start Menu

  1. Open Settings → Personalization → Start.
  2. Choose a layout under 'Layout: pins or recommendations'.
  3. Toggle recently added and most used app visibility.
  4. Click 'Folders' to choose which system folders appear next to Power.

What you should know

  • Choose the layout balance between 'More pins' and 'More recommendations'.
  • Toggle 'Show recently added apps' and 'Show most used apps'.
  • Toggle 'Show recently opened items' for jump lists and the recommended section.
  • Add folders like Documents, Downloads, or Settings next to the power button via 'Folders'.

Turning off 'Show recently opened items' also disables jump lists (right-click recent file history) in the Start menu and taskbar, not just the recommended section.

Why it matters

The Start menu is often the very first thing you interact with after signing in, so its layout directly affects how quickly you reach the apps and files you actually need. Choosing more pins over recommendations suits people who organize their own app grid, while more recommendations helps people who mostly reopen recent documents. Adding folder shortcuts next to the power button turns Start into a faster launcher for File Explorer locations you'd otherwise dig for separately.

Best practices

  • Choose 'More pins' if you deliberately organize a curated app grid, or 'More recommendations' if you mostly reopen recent files.
  • Add Documents, Downloads, and Settings as folder shortcuts if you frequently jump to them.
  • Turn off 'Show recently added apps' on a shared or work PC to avoid revealing what software was just installed.
  • Unpin default apps you never use immediately after a fresh install to keep the pinned grid relevant.

Common problems and fixes

Start menu shows apps or files you'd rather not have visible to others.
Turn off 'Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer' under Personalization → Start.
Pinned app grid resets after a major Windows update.
Re-pin your preferred apps; major feature updates occasionally reset the Start layout to Microsoft's defaults.
Folder shortcuts next to the power button aren't showing.
Check that they're actually toggled on under Personalization → Start → Folders, since none are enabled by default besides File Explorer and Settings.

Tips and tricks

  • Drag and drop apps between folders in the pinned grid to create your own named app groups.
  • Right-click any pinned app and choose 'Move to top' to keep your most-used shortcuts in the same spot every time.
  • Press the Windows key and start typing immediately — Start's search works from any point in the menu without clicking the search box first.

Frequently asked questions

Can I resize the Start menu itself, not just the layout inside it?

Yes, on Windows 11 you can drag the top edge of an expanded Start menu to make it taller, showing more pinned app rows.

Does removing 'recommended' items delete my recent file history?

No, it only hides them from the Start menu view; your actual recent files and jump list history in File Explorer are unaffected unless you separately clear that history.

Why do some apps I never opened show up as 'most used'?

Windows sometimes counts background launches, like a startup app opening automatically, toward usage frequency, which can surface apps you didn't manually open.

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