The news
Microsoft added a substantial set of controls to the Start menu in Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The changes let users manage pinned apps, recommended content, and system folders through built-in toggles instead of workarounds.
Neowin published a guide that walks through the exact steps required to apply these options. The piece focuses on the two feature updates and notes where the toggle locations differ between the builds.
Context
Earlier Windows 11 releases presented a Start menu that combined pinned items, recommendations, and visible system folders in a layout many users found difficult to trim. The source states that similar adjustments previously required third-party tools or manual edits.
The new options arrive in 25H2 and 26H2 as native settings. This removes the need for external utilities for the functions the guide covers. The Neowin article treats both versions together while recording placement differences for the controls.
Detail
The guide examines switches that affect pinned apps, recommended sections, and folder visibility. It presents the controls in the order they appear in each build and explains how to reach the relevant pages in Settings.
Placement of some toggles varies between 25H2 and 26H2. The article records these differences so readers on either build can locate the same functions. All instructions stay within the operating system’s own interface; no registry edits or third-party software appear in the steps.
The source supplies no exhaustive list of toggle names or counts. It states only that Microsoft introduced “a lot of new options” and that the guide shows how to use them. No additional confirmation of the precise inventory is available from the provided material.
Why it matters
Engineers and technical users who open the Start menu repeatedly during a workday now have a supported way to remove unwanted sections without scripts or shell replacements. That lowers the daily friction that once encouraged custom launchers or registry hacks.
Organizations running fleets of Windows 11 devices can apply the same settings through policy once the underlying values are documented. The built-in nature of the controls means they can be tested and rolled out through existing management tools rather than distributed as separate utilities.
The limited detail released so far leaves open how long the toggles will remain available across future updates. If the options persist through servicing releases, they represent a modest but measurable improvement in daily workflow. If they are later moved or removed, the time spent learning their current locations will yield little lasting value.
The source does not address whether the settings survive feature updates or how they interact with domain policies. Readers must therefore treat the current guide as a snapshot rather than a permanent reference. For teams that standardize on specific Start menu layouts, the prudent step is to record the exact toggle states and re-test them after each new build.
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Sources:
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