Microsoft unveils new Start menu for Windows 11 with customizable layout and Phone Link integration

Microsoft has officially announced its new Start menu experience for Windows 11, which features a new, more customizable layout and deeper integration with Windows Phone Link.

The new Start menu first leaked last month, revealing that the company was working on a unified layout that combined the all apps list with the main Start menu interface.

That new Start menu is now official, announced as part of a wider wave of new features coming soon to Windows 11. The new Start menu includes three different views for the all apps list, which now appears at the very bottom of the main Start menu page.

There’s the traditional list view, a new grid list view, and a new category view, which will automatically group your installed apps into “folders” similar to the App Shelf on iOS and iPadOS.

On the right, the Phone Link companion shows an overview of your smartphone, including current battery level and connection status, along with recent photos and messages. The companion can be hidden from view at any point by pressing the collapse button next to the search bar in the Start menu.

The new Start menu is more customizable, too. It allows you to show all your pinned apps by default. You can also hide the Recommended feed, meaning you can make the Start menu show a complete page of pinned apps above your all apps list if that’s something you want.

“Start is getting personal – with more options to customize and organize your apps” says Navjok Virk, CVP of Windows Experiences at Microsoft. “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.”

Microsoft has announced that the new Start menu will be made available to test via the Windows Insider Program shortly, and will roll out in a non-security preview update to Windows 11 later this year.

The new Start menu is part of a larger wave of new features announced for Windows 11 today, including an AI agent in Settings, more AI experiences across Photos, Paint, and more.

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads