Microsoft has rolled out a new experimental preview build for Windows 11 Insiders, packing a handful of long-awaited Start menu tweaks and privacy-oriented improvements. Build 26300.8553, released on May 29, 2026, to the Dev Channel, introduces Start menu size presets, granular section visibility controls, a redesigned and renamed Recent area, and new options to hide account information. The update also beefs up IT admin privacy settings, making it easier for organizations to lock down personal data exposure on shared or managed devices.

This release lands in the experimental branch of the Windows Insider Program, meaning some features may never ship broadly, but they offer a clear signal of the direction Microsoft is exploring for the Start menu — a UI element that has been a focal point of user feedback since Windows 11 first launched. Below, we dive into every major change and what it means for power users, enterprise admins, and casual Windows enthusiasts alike.

Start Menu Gets Size Presets

One of the most requested Start menu features finally makes an appearance: size presets. Instead of the current one-size-fits-all approach, Build 26300.8553 lets you choose among multiple preset dimensions for the Start menu panel. The options include:

  • Small – A compact layout showing only pinned apps and a minimal search bar, ideal for small screens or minimalist setups.
  • Medium – The default Windows 11 style, balancing pinned apps and the Recommended section.
  • Large – An expanded view that reveals more pinned app rows and a wider Recommended area.
  • Full – A new, nearly full-screen overlay inspired by Windows 10’s tablet mode, designed for touch-first devices and large monitors.

You can access these presets directly from the Start menu context menu (right-click on the taskbar) or inside Settings > Personalization > Start. Switching sizes retains your pinned layout and folder structure — apps don’t get rearranged — but the visible row count and section proportions adapt instantly. In our testing, the Small preset shrank the menu to about half its usual height, freeing up desktop real estate without sacrificing access to the most-used apps. The Full preset, meanwhile, transforms the Start experience into something akin to a launcher dashboard, with a prominent search field at the top and a three-column grid of icons and recommendations.

Microsoft hasn’t confirmed whether all four presets will graduate to general availability, but the inclusion of the Full option suggests a renewed interest in bridging desktop and tablet modes within a single UI — a welcome move for 2-in-1 devices.

Section Visibility Controls: Hide What You Don’t Need

Beyond resizing, Build 26300.8553 delivers a long-overdue granularity for controlling which sections appear inside the Start menu. Until now, toggles existed only to show or hide “Recently added apps” and “Most used apps.” This build introduces per-section visibility switches for:

  • Pinned apps
  • Recommended (files and apps)
  • Tips and suggestions
  • Account-related information (more on this later)
  • News and interests feed

These toggles live under Settings > Personalization > Start > Layout. Flipping off, say, Tips and suggestions immediately removes that section from the menu, leaving no empty space — the remaining sections stretch to fill the panel. If you disable all optional sections except Pinned apps, the Start menu becomes a pure app launcher, reminiscent of classic Windows iterations.

Crucially, these controls are group-policy aware, meaning enterprise admins can enforce visibility rules across a fleet of devices. A new policy path (StartMenuVisibility) under Administrative Templates allows IT to lock certain sections hidden for all users, a boon for kiosk scenarios or frontline worker machines where clutter must be minimized.

The Recent Area Gets a New Name and Redesign

The “Recommended” section — often criticized for its clunky, irrelevant file suggestions — undergoes a rebranding and visual overhaul. In Build 26300.8553, it’s now called Recent, a name that Microsoft says better reflects its purpose: surfacing files, folders, and apps you’ve actually engaged with, rather than pushing Windows ecosystem promotions. Alongside the rename, the section receives a fresh card-based design. Each item now displays a larger thumbnail, a richer snippet (when available), and a contextual source badge (OneDrive, local, Teams, etc.). A subtle “Show more” link expands the list inline without opening a separate page.

The renaming extends across the OS: taskbar jumplists, File Explorer’s Quick Access, and the shell namespace all reference “Recent” instead of “Recommended.” Insiders will immediately notice the change, though Microsoft warns that some legacy shortcuts and third-party apps may still show the old label until they are updated.

Performance-wise, the new Recent section feeds directly from the Timeline-like activity history engine, so privacy-conscious users can still disable history logging entirely via Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history. When turned off, the section collapses to a simple static message explaining why it’s empty.

Account Privacy Options: Hide Your Picture and Info

In a nod to growing privacy concerns, especially on shared machines, Build 26300.8553 lets you hide account-related elements from the Start menu — namely the account picture, display name, and email address that normally sit at the bottom of the panel. Previously, signing into Windows automatically showed this information, and the only way to suppress it was to use a local account or a registry hack.

Now, under Settings > Personalization > Start > Account, you’ll find two toggles:

  • Show account picture – When switched off, the circular avatar is replaced with a generic user icon.
  • Show account details – When off, your name and email are hidden; only the generic icon and a “Sign in” link remain for account management.

These settings are per-user, so each account on a device can choose differently. They apply instantly and do not affect the account icon on the sign-in screen or in Microsoft apps like Teams or Outlook. Enterprise administrators can override these via MDM or GPO, ensuring frontline workers never inadvertently expose their identity to customers.

IT Admin Privacy Controls Get a Boost

Building on the per-section visibility policies, Microsoft is introducing a new Privacy Mode toggle for enterprise-managed devices. When enabled by an IT administrator, Privacy Mode forces the following behaviors:

  • Hides all account information from the Start menu, taskbar, and lock screen.
  • Disables activity history and recent file tracking across the device.
  • Prevents Windows from showing personalized tips, ads, or recommendations.
  • Clears local search history on sign-out.

This mode can be configured via Intune or Group Policy and is designed for healthcare, retail, financial services, and other industries where data exposure is a compliance risk. The settings are tied to the device, not the user, so a single PC used by multiple employees automatically applies the restrictions to every session.

Microsoft says Privacy Mode will eventually expand to include camera and microphone blocking for non-admin users, but in this build it focuses on UI-level information concealment.

Other Improvements and Known Issues

Aside from the headlining features, Build 26300.8553 includes several under-the-hood tweaks:

  • Search highlights – The search box on the taskbar now respects the new Start menu privacy toggles, hiding recent queries if activity history is off.
  • Improved touch support – The Full Start menu preset works smoothly with swipe gestures, and the on-screen keyboard no longer obscures the lower portion of the menu.
  • Underlying platform updates – The build ships with Windows Kernel 10.0.26300.8553 and includes security updates that address a recent privilege-escalation vulnerability.

As an experimental build, however, it’s not without glitches. Microsoft’s release notes highlight several known issues:

  • The Small and Full presets may cause the taskbar to flicker when using multiple monitors with different scaling factors.
  • Hiding the account picture can, in rare cases, cause the Start menu to fail to render on first open after a cold boot. A restart usually fixes this.
  • The Recent section may briefly show duplicate entries for files stored on network drives.
  • Some shell extensions that modify the Start menu background may crash or misbehave.

These issues are the price of early access, and Microsoft encourages Insiders to file feedback via the Feedback Hub.

How to Get Build 26300.8553

The update is available now to Windows Insiders enrolled in the Dev Channel. Because it’s an experimental preview, it won’t be offered via Windows Update automatically — you must opt in by enabling “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program, then check for updates. A download of about 1.2 GB will appear for compatible devices.

If you’re not yet an Insider, join the program at aka.ms/WindowsInsider and select the Dev Channel. Keep in mind that Dev builds are less stable than Beta or Release Preview, so install on a secondary machine or VM if possible.

The Bigger Picture: A More Personal and Private Start Menu

Build 26300.8553 continues Microsoft’s iterative journey to make Windows 11’s Start menu more flexible without sacrificing the clean aesthetic that defines the OS. The size presets address a long-standing complaint that the menu feels cramped on small displays and wasted on large ones. Section visibility and account privacy toggles, meanwhile, hand control back to users and admins who have been clamoring for a less cluttered, less data-exposing experience.

Combined with the Recent rename — which subtly shifts the narrative from “Microsoft is suggesting things” to “These are your actual recent files” — the build feels like a response to years of feedback that the Start menu tried to do too much, invading privacy while offering little customization. Whether these features make it to the final Windows 11 24H2 update or a future release remains uncertain, but the fact that they’re even in testing shows Microsoft is listening.

For IT professionals, the added policy knobs are a clear win. Privacy Mode, especially, could become a default configuration for regulated industries, simplifying compliance without third-party tools. And for home users, the ability to shrink the Start menu to a tiny icon grid or expand it to a full launcher finally brings Windows 11 closer to the versatility of its predecessors.

As always, the Dev Channel is a proving ground. If the feedback is positive, expect these features to trickle into Beta and eventually public builds over the coming months. In the meantime, Insiders have plenty to explore — and perhaps a fresh reason to enjoy hitting that Windows key.