Microsoft has finally relented and is giving Windows 11 users the new Start menu they want

The Start menu in Windows 11 has proved to be one of many divisive components of the operating system, with many users unhappy about the appearance and lack of customization options. This is now changing.

Early last month, signs that Microsoft was planning to give the Windows 11 Start menu an overhaul were uncovered. Now these changes have been confirmed by Microsoft; the company says that “Start is getting personal”. But what does this mean?

See also:

• Microsoft now has AI agents that can change Windows 11 settings – should we be delighted or terrified?
• Microsoft resolves a Windows 10 issue that broke Start menu jump lists
• Microsoft says the Windows 11 24H2 is ready for everyone... except for those that it's not

It was PhantomOfEarth who spotted signs of Start menu changes hidden in preview builds of Windows 11 a few weeks back. A little detective work showed that the Recommended section could be disabled, and a new layout provided a new means of navigating installed apps.

Microsoft has not only confirmed that changes are coming to the Start menu, but considers them so significant that it is referring to the “new Start menu”. In a blog post about new “Windows 11 experiences” which are due to roll out to Windows Insiders, Microsoft introduces the “new Start menu with phone companion”:

Start is getting personal -- with more options to customize and organize your apps. The new all apps category view automatically sorts based on the apps and categories you use most, so you can quickly access all your favorites. And now with the phone companion in Start, your connected Android or iOS device is only a click away.

A video shared by the company gives a tiny glimpse of what to expect:

There is no word on quite when Windows Insiders will be granted access to the new Start menu, and anyone not signed up as an Insider probably has a few months to wait yet before they can try it out.