Start Menu
The latest Start Menu coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Windows 11 Build 26220.6682 Delivers Major Narrator Overhaul, Cautious AI Refinements
Microsoft dropped a new Windows 11 Insider preview build on the Dev Channel, and while it doesn't introduce flashy new apps, it packs meaningful upgrades for anyone who relies on screen readers to...
Dev Build 26220.6682 Delivers On-Device Copilot Prompts, Selective Emoji 16, and Game-Changing Narrator Upgrades
Microsoft dropped Dev Channel build 26220.6682 (KB5065782) on September 12, 2025, and it’s packed with three distinct threads: a locally inferred Copilot prompt box inside Click to Do, a...
Microsoft Drops Windows 11 Build 26220.6682 with Emoji 16 Glyphs, Narrator Boost, and Gated Copilot+ AI Features
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Dev Channel Build 26220.6682 (KB5065782), packing seven new Emoji 16 glyphs, major accessibility improvements for Narrator, and hardware-gated Copilot+ AI...
Windows 11 Insider Build 26220.6682 Brings AI-Powered Click to Do and OBS Fix, But Audio Glitch Persists
Microsoft shipped Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6682 (KB5065782) to the Dev Channel on September 12, 2025, introducing a Copilot prompt box inside Click to Do that harnesses the on-device...
Microsoft Draws a Line in the Agentic AI Sand: Copilot Studio Gets a Lite and Full Experience
Microsoft has officially split its Copilot Studio into two distinct tiers, a move that signals a deliberate shift from a one-size-fits-all agent builder toward a persona-driven platform designed to...
PowerToys Run's Plugin Ecosystem Makes It a True Start Menu Replacement — Here's How
For millions of Windows users, the Start menu is a daily hurdle — sluggish, unpredictable, and increasingly biased toward web results that bury local files. But a growing community of power users...
Stardock’s Start11 and WindowBlinds Bring Windows 7’s Look to Windows 11 — But It’s No Perfect Clone
A hands-on experiment by MakeUseOf’s Pankil Shah confirms that a carefully assembled toolkit can drape Windows 11 in the glassy, familiar skin of Windows 7 — and the result is more than a...
Copilot Home Tab Replaces Chat Interface With AI Dashboard on Windows 11 Build 1.25082.132.0
Microsoft is replacing Copilot's traditional chat-first interface on Windows 11 with a new "Home" tab that behaves more like an AI-powered Start menu. Rolling out through staged Microsoft Store...
Liquid Glass Windows 12.2: Designer's Dream Meets Microsoft's Reality Check
A nine-minute concept video reimagining Windows with Apple’s Liquid Glass aesthetic has ignited a firestorm among enthusiasts, but the gulf between a glossy mockup and a shippable operating system...
Tech Writer Abandons Windows 11 Start Menu for Flow Launcher, Citing Speed and Plugin Power
A MakeUseOf tech writer has publicly ditched the Windows 11 Start menu for Flow Launcher, an open-source, keyboard-first app launcher, reigniting a debate over how Windows should serve power users....
Windows 11 25H2: The Update That’s More About Subtraction Than Addition
Microsoft has begun rolling out Windows 11 version 25H2 to Insiders in the Release Preview channel, and it’s unlike any feature update in recent memory. Instead of a splashy list of new...
Microsoft Ships Windows 10 Light Mode That Finally Made the Shell Bright
Microsoft’s long-running flirtation with theme options in Windows took a decisive, system-wide turn with the release of the May 2019 Update. Windows 10 Light Mode moved beyond the piecemeal light...