Start Menu
The latest Start Menu coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Microsoft Tests Movable Taskbar and Resizable Start Menu in Windows 11 Insider Builds
Microsoft is giving Windows 11 Insiders the first taste of long-awaited taskbar and Start menu flexibility, with new options to move the taskbar to any screen edge, shrink its icons, and choose from...
Windows 11 Preview Adds Switch to Kill Bing in Search Without Registry Edits
Microsoft is finally giving Windows 11 users a direct way to shut off web results in the built-in search. A dedicated toggle, previewed at a recent Windows Insider event in San Francisco, will let...
Microsoft Releases Fresh Windows 11 Insider ISO Files, Packing Start Menu Enhancements and Streamlined Testing
Microsoft just dropped a fresh batch of Windows 11 Insider Preview ISO files, giving registered Windows Insiders a smoother path to clean-install the latest Beta and Dev channel builds. For anyone...
Windows 11 Build 26300.8553: Modular Start Menu, New Privacy Dashboard, Smarter Search
Microsoft has pushed Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 to the Experimental Channel, delivering a highly anticipated modular Start menu, beefed-up privacy tools, and a smarter search...
Windows 11 Insider Experimental Build 26300.8493 Unlocks Long-Awaited Taskbar Customization and Privacy Controls
Microsoft dropped Windows 11 Insider Preview Experimental Build 26300.8493 into the Canary Channel on May 15, 2026, delivering taskbar and Start menu changes that power users have demanded since...
Windows 11 Testing Per-Monitor Taskbar, Drag-and-Drop & New Privacy Controls
Microsoft is currently experimenting with a suite of long-requested taskbar and Start menu enhancements that could finally address the most persistent complaints from Windows 11 users. According to a...
Windows 11 May 2026 test build adds resizable Start, hides sections, moves taskbar anywhere
Windows Insiders in Microsoft's Experimental channel are now testing a trio of long-requested personalization features that could dramatically reshape the Windows 11 desktop experience. According to...
Windows 11 Low Latency Profile Defended by Microsoft Against Benchmark Cheating Claims
Microsoft has pushed back against accusations that Windows 11’s Low Latency Profile amounts to little more than benchmark cheating, arguing the feature is a legitimate mechanism for managing system...
Microsoft's Project K2 Slashes WinUI 3 Lag: 47% Fewer Allocations in File Explorer
Microsoft has quietly launched an internal performance crusade codenamed K2, targeting the heart of Windows 11's user interface — and early results are promising. Benchmarks from leaked Insider...
Microsoft tests hidden scheduler tweak for instant Start menu response in Windows 11
Microsoft is quietly testing a new performance feature in Windows 11 that temporarily ramps CPU clock speeds during brief, everyday interactions like opening the Start menu, launching applications,...
Windows 11 2026 Start Menu Overhaul Lets You Hide Recommended, Toggle Layouts
Microsoft is planning yet another major redesign of Windows 11’s Start menu, and this time users may finally get the control they’ve been demanding. According to reports and early preview builds,...
Windows 11 Build 26300 Uncovers Early Code for Windows 10‑Style Smaller Taskbar
Microsoft has resurrected one of the most-requested taskbar features it stripped from Windows 11 at launch. Hidden inside preview build 26300.8346 — a Dev Channel flight shipped to Insiders earlier...