How to Customize the Start Menu in Windows 10

The Start Menu is one of the most recognizable and essential features of Windows. With Windows 10, it’s more customizable than ever, allowing you to personalize it to suit your needs. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to modify the Start Menu for better functionality and convenience.

1. Adjusting the Size and Display of the Start Menu

Windows 10 provides flexible options for resizing and adjusting the appearance of the Start Menu:

  • Resizing: To change the Start Menu size, hover your cursor over the edge and drag it in the desired direction. You can make it larger, smaller, or adjust the shape to fit your preferences.
  • Full-Screen Mode: If you prefer the full-screen mode reminiscent of Windows 8, you can enable it. Go to Settings → Personalization → Start and turn on the “Use Start full screen” option.

2. Adding and Removing Tiles

The Start Menu in Windows 10 uses tiles for quick access to applications. Here’s how to add or remove them:

  • Adding a Tile: Find an app in the list, right-click on it, and select “Pin to Start.”
  • Removing a Tile: To remove a tile, right-click on it and select “Unpin from Start.”

3. Changing the Start Menu Color and Background

You can modify the Start Menu’s color to better match your desktop theme:

  • Open Settings → Personalization → Colors.
  • Select a primary color for the Start Menu or enable “Automatically pick an accent color from my background” for a dynamic look.
  • Enable the “Show color on Start” option to apply your selected color.

4. Organizing and Grouping Tiles

If you have many tiles, you can group them for easier access:

  • To create a group, simply drag tiles into a single area.
  • Click on the label above the tiles to name the group.

5. Enabling and Disabling Live Tiles

Live Tiles display updated information from apps (like news or weather). Here’s how to turn them on or off:

  • Right-click a tile and choose “Turn live tile on” or “Turn live tile off,” depending on your preference.

6. Managing the List of All Apps

If you don’t want the full list of apps visible in the Start Menu, you can hide it:

  1. Open Settings → Personalization → Start.
  2. Toggle off “Show app list in Start menu.”

7. Resetting the Start Menu

If you want to return the Start Menu to its default settings, you can reset it:

  • Go to Settings → Personalization → Start and select “Reset settings.”