I went back to the default Windows Start menu after two years of replacements, and I am not switching again.
I love customizing my devices and making them feel like an extension of my style, whether it's customizing my smartphone or my desktop. For years, I relied on third-party Start menu apps because the default Windows Start menu felt too limiting. I did try to tweak the default Start menu in every way and still felt restricted.
A few months ago, I decided to give it another try. To my surprise, the Start menu has improved enough that I no longer feel the need for a third-party replacement. A few simple changes were all it took to make it work the way I wanted.
The reason I shifted to third-party Start menus
It wasn’t really about the looks
I am not someone who slaps an old-looking theme onto something modern. I never wanted to have that Windows 7 or Windows 10 look on the default Start menu. The look was never an issue for me. My problem was functional. The default Start menu felt like it was designed for someone scrolling on a tablet rather than for someone who wants everything within reach using a mouse.
The Recommended section ate space, which I believe could have been used better. I could not resize the menu the way I wanted. I could not reposition the Taskbar. Overall, it felt like Microsoft gave the user less control and kept everything for itself.
Users are looking for ways to customize the Windows 11 Start menu using the built-in options. But even with every option used and maxed out, it felt limited compared to what I was looking for. This is why I had to rely on third-party Start menu apps like Start11 and Open Shell, which offered features such as resizing and different visual styles.
Start menu replacements need upkeep
The little maintenance tax added up
Well, it is quite convenient to download a third-party Start menu replacement and customize it to our liking. However, many don’t talk about the fact that these third-party apps need upkeep.
Not only do these apps need to be updated consistently to avoid glitches or issues, but every major Windows update also becomes a small gamble. Will third-party apps still be supported? Will it break when I install the update? Or will everything work as is, or will I have to wait for the next update?
Most of the time, this is fine, but there were a couple of times when I ran into a few hiccups. Not that they weren’t treatable, they needed to be fixed manually before they could operate normally.
On top of this, there are times when the third-party replacement Start menu starts to feel like an outsider rather than part of the OS. Context menus animate differently, the Settings page looks different from the default Windows-style, etc.
Killing the clutter without installing anything
Now the Start menu looks like mine
One of the biggest reasons I switched to a different Start menu app was the Recommended section. Now, you don't need a third-party fix anymore, as you can head over to Settings -> Personalization -> Start and turn off recently opened items, recently added apps, and recommended files separately.
Instead of the unwanted app and file grid, you can pin your most-used apps so they are always at your disposal. I also went hunting for more ways to reduce noise in the Start menu. Luckily, I found that turning off three specific settings in the Start menu would stop Bing search results from being blended with your local apps and files.
Since I did not know this, tweaking that one registry alone made searching inside the Start menu feel local again. Microsoft should understand this and provide a toggle to turn it off.
If you have apps of the same kind, for instance, multiple social media apps, then you can group them inside a folder in the pinned apps. Simply drag one app icon onto the other, and a new folder will be created. It is one of the many tweaks I made to customize the default Windows Start menu.
What’s coming next is exciting
Microsoft is bringing back what it took away
My Windows Start menu feels more personal, and the good news is that with upcoming updates, Microsoft has shown which new features are coming. Most of the features aren’t new; for some reason, Microsoft removed them and is now all set to bring them back.
According to the official blog, Microsoft is bringing back the option to position the taskbar to any of the four edges of the screen. Additionally, the update will add support for different Start menu sizes instead of a single fixed automatic layout.
Users will also have the option to resize or collapse entire sections, such as Pinned, Recommended, and All Apps, independently. Microsoft also showcased the option to make the Taskbar buttons much smaller. This will give users smaller icons, more space, and a shorter taskbar.
The upcoming update will also let users hide their names and profile pictures in Start for added privacy. This is actually important, especially for me, since my work involves taking many screenshots. These changes are part of a wider effort focused on performance and restoring flexibility that was removed when Windows 11 first launched.
Should you also make the switch?
Short answer: That depends on what you want. There is nothing wrong with sticking with your setup if it works for you, and you don't mind the occasional update hiccup. There is no shortage of Windows 11 customization apps if you want to keep exploring that path. But if you are like me, who replaced the default Start menu mainly because of the clutter, it is now worth giving the old chap a chance, as it has evolved a bit. And the upcoming features make it even more exciting.