Microsoft has been promising to improve Windows 11 since January and we may see that overhaul begin with the Start Menu. The tech giant is rebuilding the Start menu with customization options and improved performance.
According to our friends at Windows Central, Microsoft is working on an update that's designed to give you more control over how the the menu looks and operates. It fits with promises made in March that detailed more customization and performance improvements for Windows 11 as a whole.
What is Microsoft potentially changing
Per Window Central, the initial look of the Start Menu will appear similar to how it already does in Windows 11. The difference will be in customization options configurable in the Windows Settings app.
Examples include the ability to turn off specific sections of the menu and choosing between small or large layouts. Currently, you can only see the small and large layouts depending on your screen size and device. This would let you set the menu to your preferred size regardless of what kind of device you're using.
As for toggling off sections, allegedly, you can turn off different things like the recommended feed or pinning apps in the menu. You could potentially even disable the all apps list.
Beyond customization, the new Start menu is supposed to be much more responsive, even when under intense load. This is supposed to extend to the search bar in the menu where you'll be able to type and search without any noticeable slowdown or missed keys.
What could have been
The alleged changes come out as Microsoft's design team shared on its Instagram page the approach that was taken to redesigning the Start menu. Unfortunately, the comments under that post are not kind.
"I don't like the new Start Menu at all. It doesn't fulfill my personal necessities and it makes everything more frustrating and time consuming. I even pay a third party software that modify it," one person wrote.
The comments were eventually turned off.
Windows Latest points out that the Windows Design team released a blog post last year that revealed five prototype Start menus. Some commentators called the prototypes more beautiful. However, looking at some of the images, all five still appear to have the same problems that the current menu does.
To be honest, it just makes us miss the Windows 10 Start Menu, which mixed app lists and tiles in a more usable way.
Microsoft says it wants to solve the pain points in Windows 11 throughout 2026. It appears the Start Menu will be one of the first changes.
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