Microsoft is rolling out a new Windows 11 test to Insiders in the Experimental channel, letting users move the taskbar to any screen edge and resize the Start menu. The update also adds Start menu controls for showing or hiding sections like Pinned, Recommende
Windows 11 is getting a more flexible setup in a new test aimed at Insiders.. In an update rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Experimental channel. Microsoft is letting users reposition the taskbar to the bottom. top. left. or right side of the screen and adjust how the icons line up inside it.
The Start menu also becomes easier to live with for different screen sizes. Insiders can access a shorter taskbar option, designed to be useful on devices with smaller displays, and can choose from a “Small” or “Large” Start menu.
Microsoft has also wired the Start menu controls to match the new taskbar flexibility.. If the taskbar is placed on a different edge. users can open the Start menu drawer from wherever it’s been positioned.. And beyond placement and size. Microsoft is adding new toggles so the Start menu layout can be reshaped—letting people show or hide the “Pinned. ” “Recommended. ” and “All” sections.
There’s a naming change alongside the controls.. Microsoft is renaming the “Recommended” section to “Recent” to “better reflect what the section primarily shows. including recently installed apps and recently used files.” The company is also adding an option to hide a user’s name and profile picture from the Start menu. a tweak that’s intended for situations where someone is sharing their screen or making a presentation.
One of the clearest through-lines in this rollout is how every adjustment ties back to the way people interact with the PC at the Start menu and taskbar—place it. size it. and then decide what shows up there—while Microsoft points to visible progress as the way it tries to rebuild trust.. That framing sits alongside practical changes like moving the taskbar to any edge. offering a shorter taskbar and “Small” versus “Large” Start menu choices. and then adding section toggles plus the “Recent” rename.
Microsoft design director Diego Baca said in the blog post. “We have talked about earning trust through steady and visible progress. ” adding. “Start and taskbar are where that trust is tested most. every time you sit down at your PC.” These features are expected to roll out in the “coming weeks” to the Experimental Channel.
Windows 11 Insiders Experimental channel taskbar reposition Start menu size pinned recommended all Recent section profile picture hide Diego Baca