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Is the Cluttered Start Menu Driving You Crazy? Discover the Simple Trick to Force-Enable the Sleek New Design in Windows 11.
Windows 11 has a new Start menu design. This is the first major update since its release in 2021. The new menu organizes your apps into categories. It also adds a new panel for your phone links on the right side.
This feature is being released slowly. It is available in Windows 11 Build 26200.7019, 26100.7019, or newer versions. If you do not see the new menu, you can turn it on yourself using a tool called ViVeTool.
What is ViVeTool?
ViVeTool is a free tool that unlocks hidden features in Windows. It works with the system Microsoft uses for testing new features. ViVeTool is safe because it uses official methods and does not change important Windows files. You just need to use the correct commands.
How to Turn On the New Start Menu
Follow these steps to enable the new design:
- Update Windows. Make sure you have Windows 11 KB5067036 or a newer update. You can check your version in Settings > System > About.
- Download ViVeTool. Get the tool from its GitHub page and save the files into a new folder.
- Open Command Prompt. You must open it as an administrator.
- Go to the ViVeTool folder. In the Command Prompt, type cd followed by the path to the folder where you saved ViVeTool. For example, cd C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\ViVeTool. Press Enter.
- Run the command. Type vivetool /enable /id:47205210 and press Enter.
- Restart your computer.
After your computer restarts, the new Start menu will be active. If you want to go back to the old menu, use the command vivetool /reset /id:47205210.
Microsoft is releasing this update slowly to find and fix any problems early. This means it is turned off by default for many people.
New vs. Old Start Menus
The old Windows 10 Start menu had a simple, one-page design. It showed tiles on the right side. It was functional, but not as modern.
The first Windows 11 Start menu split everything into two parts.
- The first part had your pinned apps and a Recommended section. Many people did not like the Recommended area. It often showed recent files you could already find elsewhere.
- The second part was a list of all your apps. You had to click an “All apps” button to see it. This extra click was not popular.
The Improved Start Menu
The new Windows 11 Start menu brings everything back to a single, scrolling page.
- Pinned apps are at the top in a section you can collapse.
- The Recommended section is next, and you can now hide it completely.
- The All apps section is at the bottom and has new ways to show your apps.
The “All apps” area now has three layout choices:
- List: This is the old, simple list of apps.
- Grid: This view uses more of the screen to show apps in a grid, so you scroll less.
- Category: This layout automatically groups similar apps. For example, it puts work apps in a “Productivity” group. It even creates folders within these groups to keep things tidy.
Currently, you cannot create your own categories. However, this feature might be added later, much like creating app folders on a smartphone. Adding this option would give you more control to organize the Start menu just the way you like it.