Windows 11 Start Menu: Pinned Apps & Recommended Files

The Windows 11 Start Menu replaces the legacy live-tile interface with a simplified, two-tier layout focused on fast navigation and recent activity. Positioned by default in the center of the taskbar, the menu separates your content into an upper “Pinned” section for favorite applications and a lower “Recommended” section for recently accessed files and new installs. This guide breaks down how both sections function, how they organize your content, and how you can customize their layout.

The Pinned Section

The top half of the Start Menu is dedicated to your Pinned apps, acting as an easily accessible app launcher.

• Grid Layout: Pinned applications are displayed in a clean, uniform grid of icons.
• Reordering and Folders: You can drag and drop icons to arrange them in any order. Dragging one app icon over another creates a folder, allowing you to group related apps together and save space.
• Pagination: If you pin more apps than can fit on a single screen, the menu creates additional pages. You can scroll through these pages using your mouse wheel or by clicking the navigation dots on the right side.
• All Apps Access: A button in the top-right corner labeled “All apps” lets you switch from your pinned selection to an alphabetical list of every program installed on your PC.

The Recommended Section

The bottom half of the Start Menu dynamically surfaces files, recent installations, and cloud-synced documents.

• Recent Files: This area automatically populates with documents, spreadsheets, images, and other media you have recently opened.
• Cloud Integration: If you sign in with a Microsoft account or work profile, the Recommended section integrates with OneDrive and Microsoft 365, displaying recently edited cloud files even if they were opened on a different device.
• Newly Installed Apps: When you install new software, it briefly appears in the Recommended area for quick first-time launching.
• Context Control: Right-clicking any item in this list allows you to open the file location, remove it from the list, or pin it to your main Pinned grid.

Customizing the Start Menu Layout

Windows 11 allows you to adjust the balance between pinned apps and recommended files through system settings:

1. Open Settings and navigate to Personalization.
2. Select Start.
3. Choose one of three layout options:
   • More pins: Expands the Pinned area to show more rows of apps while shrinking the Recommended section to a single row.
   • Default: Maintains an even balance between pinned apps and recommendations.
   • More recommendations: Expands the file list to show more recent items and reduces the visible rows of pinned apps.

You can also toggle off recent files, recently added apps, or most-used items entirely if you prefer a cleaner interface.