Start Menu is always the center of attention whenever Microsoft "improves" the look of its operating system. With Windows 11 in 2025, Microsoft is refreshing the Start Menu again, aiming for a "people-centered" experience that focuses on personalization and on making it easier to find apps. So is this new design a real step up that meets what users want, or just another round of experimentation that continues from the Windows 8 era?
The History of Start Menu Changes and the New Design Principles
Since Windows 8, the Start Menu has changed many times, stirring up debate among users. Microsoft has tried a number of different designs, but not every version won broad agreement. For the 2025 update, Microsoft's design team discarded several ideas, including a rounded Start Menu, widget integration, and a full-screen interface with "For You" recommendations. These prototypes were tested through sketches, digital mockups, and real-world surveys of more than 300 Windows 11 users, but they were ultimately dropped because they did not do well enough on ease of use and efficient use of space.
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The new Start Menu design follows four principles: Apps at a Glance (Apps at a Glance), Make it Yours (Make it Yours), Accelerate the Day (Accelerate the Day), and Honor the Icon. The goal is to let users reach all of their apps quickly, customize things easily, and work fast, while keeping the familiar character Windows has had for the past three decades.
Key Highlights: Smart Recommendations, Flexible Customization, and Community Feedback
Start Menu in the new Windows 11 offers three "All Apps" views: grouped by category, grid, and list. This makes apps easier to find without the long scrolling of the past. In particular, the category view for frequently used apps draws inspiration from the App Library on phones, which suits modern habits.
The smart recommendations feature has been upgraded: Start Menu automatically learns from user behavior to suggest relevant apps and documents in real time. Users can also hide recommendations they do not need, which gives them more control and more say in personalizing the experience. In addition, the new Start Menu clearly distinguishes between desktop and mobile content, and it is optimized for both traditional devices and touchscreens, from the Surface Go to a 49-inch ultrawide display.
Microsoft stressed community feedback during development: more than 300 Windows 11 "fans" took part and offered input, helping refine even the smallest details. The design team focused on improving performance, reducing lag, and speeding up responsiveness, a long-standing weakness of earlier versions of the Start Menu.
Still, not everyone is happy with the new direction. Some users and experts continue to say that the Windows 11 interface and the new Start Menu are not truly friendly, and may even be difficult for those used to the traditional style from Windows 7 and 10. For them, third-party apps such as Open Shell remain a flexible alternative, restoring the familiar experience that Microsoft has gradually phased out.
Overview: the Start Menu in Windows 11 2025 is a major effort by Microsoft to balance innovation with tradition, putting people at the center of the experience. The new design aims at personalization, better performance, and customizability, while also paying attention to real feedback from the community. Although opinions remain mixed, the new Start Menu promises to better meet the needs of modern users. If you are not satisfied, third-party solutions such as Open Shell are still a useful way to personalize the experience however you like.
