Microsoft has redesigned the Start menu again in Windows 11

Microsoft is rolling out a new Start menu design in Windows 11. The company is once again introducing familiar changes, but this time for most regular users.

The update is included in the January update KB5074109 (25H2). If it is not installed automatically, you need to check for it manually in Windows Update. In other cases, the update should appear in the coming days or weeks. According to the company, the active deployment phase has been going on for about a week.

What’s new in the Start menu

Now the search bar is located at the top, below are pinned applications, then the “Recommended” block, and below it – everything else. The search has been moved to the top to speed up the launch of programs, files or images. The “Recommended” ribbon remains, but now it is possible to turn it off. However, there are some nuances here: disabling recommendations removes the list of recent files in Explorer and the jump lists in the taskbar menu.

Separately, the “All Apps” list has been moved to the main “Start” screen. Instead of a long scrolling list, categories have appeared that allow you to see all programs at once. Microsoft compares this approach to the design of smartphones, so some users may notice similarities with iOS. The company also made the “Connect to your smartphone” panel additional so that it does not interfere with the main interface.

Microsoft has been working on the new “Start” for almost a year. During this time, the company abandoned dozens of radical options and, as a result, settled on a design that is not very different from the current one.