Windows 11 Start Menu Tweak: Show All Pins by Default

Microsoft is once again refining the Windows 11 user experience, this time targeting the Start menu—a core element of the Windows desktop interface that has long sparked debate and user customization demands. The latest reports reveal a significant redesign focused on showing all pinned applications by default, alongside other user-centric improvements aimed at restoring flexibility and reducing visual clutter. This article delves into the upcoming Start menu changes, their historical context, technical details, implications for users, and expert perspectives.

The Evolution of the Windows Start Menu

The Start menu has been integral to Windows since its debut in Windows 95, serving as the gateway to applications, files, and settings. Over the years, Microsoft has experimented heavily with this interface element:

  • Windows 95 through Windows 7: The Start menu featured a balanced, text-and-icon driven list, allowing users to pin shortcuts and navigate easily.
  • Windows 8: Microsoft introduced a tile-based Start screen designed for touch, which polarized users due to its departure from the traditional experience.
  • Windows 10: Brought back the familiar Start menu with live tiles and extended customization, letting users pin, resize, and organize apps in groups.
  • Windows 11: Simplified the Start menu by centering it and limiting customization options, featuring a reduced pinned area and adding a "Recommended" section that auto-displays recent files and apps.

While Windows 11's sleek design was praised for modern aesthetics, many power users found the Start menu restrictive and cluttered due to the prominent Recommended section, limited pinned app display, and separation between pinned apps and the "All apps" list.

What’s New: Show All Pins by Default and More

The forthcoming Start menu update for Windows 11, currently in Windows Insider beta builds, introduces several notable changes designed to address these concerns:

1. Expanded and Scrollable Pinned Apps List

The pinned apps section no longer limits users to a small fixed grid. Instead:

  • The Start menu will show all pinned apps by default in a scrollable layout.
  • Users can expand or collapse the pinned list at will, thanks to a new "Show more"/_"Show less" toggle.
  • Each row can display up to eight icons, which is beneficial on high-resolution and multi-monitor setups, addressing previous complaints about cramped space.

This dynamic approach restores the flexibility Windows 10 users appreciated, allowing power users to access more favorites without multiple clicks or switching sections.

2. Unified Scrollable Interface

Rather than segregating pinned apps, Recommended content, and All apps into fixed sections, the Start menu now presents a single vertically scrollable page that integrates:

  • Pinned apps at the top.
  • The entire list of installed applications directly below the pinned section.
  • Removal (optional) of the Recommended section, which has been a source of distraction.

This unified design reduces the navigation overhead of switching between tabs or panes and streamlines app discovery.

Responding to widespread user feedback, Microsoft introduces a setting toggle to completely disable the Recommended section from the Start menu. This section historically showed recent files, apps, and sometimes promotional content—which many users found intrusive.

Interestingly, disabling the Recommended section also removes recent items from the File Explorer "Recent" tab, although this linkage might be refined or decoupled in future updates.

4. Multiple Views and Sorting Options

Users can now choose how to view their app list, including:

  • An alphabetical list.
  • An Android-style grid view grouped by app name.
  • An iOS/iPadOS-style category view, organizing apps into productivity, games, utilities, and other thematic groups.

This categorization and sorting flexibility helps users quickly find what they need and personalize their environment.

5. Increased Customization and Control

Other enhancements include:

  • Ability to show additional pinned apps beyond an initial fixed limit.
  • A configurable number of pinned spots, from 16 fixed slots to expanding with a "Show all" option.
  • Customizable interface options for toggling visibility of sections and appearance.

Technical Details and Availability

These Start menu innovations have surfaced in internal Microsoft builds and Windows Insider beta snapshots primarily aligned with the upcoming Windows 11 "24H2" or "25H2" feature updates. These builds are accessible via:

  • Windows Insider Program participation, particularly the Developer and Beta channels.
  • Tweaking with tools such as ViVeTool to enable experimental features.

While currently considered experimental and sometimes unstable, early testers report the redesign is smoother and more performant than expected for a prototype.

Implications and Impact

For Users and Power Users

  • Efficiency Gains: Immediate access to all pinned apps without extra clicks reduces friction for daily workflows.
  • Reduced Clutter: Optionally removing Recommended content declutters the UI, enhancing focus.
  • Flexibility: Users can tailor views and organization to their personal or professional needs.
  • Enhanced Productivity: Better Start menu organization complements multitasking and rapid app switching, which is essential in hybrid and remote work environments.

For IT Professionals

  • Consistency and Stability: Unified menu design may reduce support overhead related to third-party Start menu customization tools and registry hacks.
  • Simplified Management: Organizations can better standardize the user experience with fewer complaints about confusing navigation.
  • Potential for Custom Configurations: Future group policy or management options may allow enterprises to fine-tune Start menu behavior for different user profiles.

Expert Commentary and Community Feedback

Prominent Windows insiders and community experts underscore that Microsoft is learning from years of user input. Veteran users see the new Start menu as a welcome synthesis of Windows 10's flexibility and Windows 11's modern design ethos.

  • The ability to show all pins by default was highly requested and addresses a key point of criticism toward Windows 11's original Start menu.
  • The removal of the Recommended section is celebrated as a major step toward user control.
  • Organizing the app list with multiple views offers a fresh take on app management, borrowing successful concepts from mobile platforms.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s Start menu overhaul in Windows 11 is more than a cosmetic tweak—it reflects a fundamental user experience rethinking aimed at greater customization, decluttering, and streamlined navigation. By showing all pinned apps by default and giving users control over what sections appear, Microsoft revives lost functionality and addresses long-standing feedback. While finalized details await public release in forthcoming Windows 11 feature updates, early indications suggest this redesign will make the Start menu more flexible, powerful, and user-friendly, appealing to novices and power users alike.