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Windows Start menu: 5 features worth trying on Windows 10 and Windows 11
Take a couple of minutes to learn your way around one of the most-overlooked
features on your PC
The little button that has traditionally sat at the bottom left-hand corner of your Windows PC is one of the most distinctive and familiar features. The menu has evolved since its introduction in Windows 95, so make sure you're putting it to good use.
As the Start menu is so familiar, you might take it for granted. However, taking time to explore your settings can help you work more quickly. You can even install third-party apps to supercharge your menu and make it work better for you. We have Windows 10 details below, but keep scrolling for Windows 11.
Windows 10 Start menu
1. Change colours to suit your style
On Windows 10, you can play around with colour schemes to make your experience feel more personalised. The OS has options for both Light mode and Dark mode – Light mode works well during daylight hours, while Dark mode is better suited to a low-lit environment.
To change colours, follow these steps:
- Select Start, then Settings
- Choose Personalization, then Colors
- In the Choose your color dropdown, select Light, Dark or Custom
- Under Choose your accent color, you can pick a preset or use the Custom color button. These colours can be displayed within the Start menu, taskbar and action center.
2. Experiment with Live Tiles
The Start menu contains live tiles that can be dragged around, pinned and resized to suit your needs. These tiles pull in live information – news headlines or your local weather forecast, for example.
By right-clicking a Live Tile, you can also change it to a normal icon, transfer it between the menu and the taskbar, and access recently opened documents.
We suggest that you take some time to rearrange your Windows Tiles into categories. Consider placing your most-used apps near the top for easy access. To create a new section, drop one tile on top of another and rename the category if needed.
3. Set your Start screen to open in full screen
Windows 10 users can restore Windows 8's full screen menu, which is handy if you want a larger, easier-to-read overview of your apps and services.
To try it for yourself, head to Settings > Personalization > Start, then choose Use Start Full Screen. Note that this option isn't available on Windows 11 PC's, which suggests that the full screen phase of Windows development is behind us.
4. Display your recently-used files
If you regularly use your PC to type up documents, build spreadsheets or prepare presentations, you might appreciate having quick links enabled on your Start menu.
To have recently used files appear in your Start menu, head to Start menu > Settings > Personalization > Start. At the bottom of the list, enable (and yes, it really is this long) Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in File Explorer Quick Access.
As an example, let's say you want quick access to recently-opened Microsoft Word files. To access those, you'd need to right-click the Word tile inside the Start menu and select a document under Recent.
Don't want to have to pay for Word? Find out how to use the free Word alternative, LibreOffice
5. Choose which system folders you'd like in your Start menu
If you click the Start menu, you'll see a couple of quick access icons underneath your name in the bottom left-hand corner. By default, these usually include Documents, Pictures and Settings, but you can add even more if you need to.
To configure your system folders, navigate to the Start menu > Settings > Personalization > Start. Select Choose which folders appear on Start and then you can fine-tune your selection. For example, you can add a quick-access link for Downloads, Music and Videos.
Need a new laptop? See our expert pick of the best laptops for all budgets
Windows 11 Start menu
Windows 11's stripped-back Start menu is a break from the one in Windows 10, but there are ways you can make it your own.
1. Personalise the Start menu
By default, there are pinned apps at the top of the WIndows 11 menu and recommendations below. You can unpin apps or move them to the top by right-clicking them and choosing the relevant option.
2. Move it back into the corner
Windows 11 moved the Start button, and therefore the menu, closer to the middle of the screen, at the left side of the newly centralised taskbar. If you don't like this and keep going to click in the bottom-left, you can move it back from the Settings app. Choose Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviours and changing the Taskbar alignment drop-down menu to Left.
3. Drag and drop
Shortcuts can be moved around on the Start menu in Windows 11. Simply pick them up with the mouse pointer (left-click and keep this part of your mouse held down) and drag them to a new position.
4. See your most-used apps at a glance
If you're constantly opening up the same set of apps, you might as well take a minute to pin them permanently to your Start menu on Windows 11.
To try this, go to Start menu > Settings > Personalization > Start. Activate the toggle for Show Most Used Apps.
5. Change the Start menu colour
While it starts out a silvery white (unless you're in Dark Mode), the Start menu in Windows 11 can be changed to a variety of colours. One way of doing this is with a theme, which you can alter from Settings > Personalization. Themes change a lot about the appearence of the OS, with alterations to the colours and wallpaper.
You can take it further by tweaking the colours within the theme by scrolling down on the Settings page to Personalization > Colors and choosing the accent colour. This has a small effect on the Start menu, changing the colour of the line under the Search box.
However, a switch further down, Show Accent Color on Start and Taskbar allows you to pick a background colour for the menu and bar.
Third-party apps explained
If the Start menu in Windows 10 or 11 isn't to your liking, there are third-party apps that can help. They can trace their lineage back to Windows 8, when the full-screen Start menu enraged so many people they looked for a way to put things back to how they were.
Popular options include:
- StarDock Start11 (shown below, free or £5.24 for extra features) This morphs the Windows 11 and 10 Start menu into a choice of styles, such as those that mimic the menus from Windows 7 and 10, plus a modern style of its own invention.
- StartAllBack (US $4.99) Provides you with Windows 7 and 10-style menus, plus the option to move the taskbar to the sides or top of the screen, or even split it into segments.
- Start Menu X (free or £8.50 for extra features) Offers a wide Start menu full of application shortcuts that are completely customisable. It's perfect if you really want to make the Start menu into something that reflects the way you work.
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Additional reporting by Tom Morgan
