Windows 11 introduced a lot of new and elegant design changes. Start Menu was one such item that received a redesign in the new Windows. But it received mixed reviews from users. While some people love the simplicity of the Start menu in Windows 11, others despised it.

The Start Menu in Windows 11 had none of the customization abilities from Windows 10. There are no live tiles, groups, and other bells and whistles. Instead, Windows 11 presents a simple roster of pinned apps and recommended files with limited customization abilities.

Now, Microsoft is not bringing the live tiles back in Windows 11 (yet), but it is bringing something back to let users customize their experience. Users can now create and curate folders in the pinned apps section of the Start menu.

So, if the pinned apps section of the Start menu is becoming too chaotic but you’re not ready to unpin some of these apps, organizing them in folders will bring you some relief. Folders also mimic the groups from Windows 10, using which you can organize your apps. Having all your games and productivity apps in separate folders is surely going to make life easier for you.

To create a folder in the Start menu, simply drag one app on top of another and release it there.

Drag one app onto another to create a folder.

It’ll automatically create a folder. The folder will only display the app icons in the minimized state.

Click the folder and it’ll expand above the Start menu and you can see all the apps in it and open them.

To add more apps to the folder, simply drag them onto the folder in its minimized state.

The folder will show the first four apps only in the minimized state.

You can also rearrange the apps within the folder. Drag an app and release it to its new location within the folder.

To remove an app from the folder, drag it out of the folder and release it anywhere in the pinned apps section. It’ll automatically be removed from the folder and appear to the right of the folder on the Start menu no matter where you drop it.

To delete the folder, you’ll have to drag all the apps out of there until there’s only one left.

Currently, you cannot name the folders. But this is only an early version of the functionality. Microsoft is working to bring the ability to name and rename the folders in subsequent releases.


Folders bring additional functionality to the Start menu while still maintaining the Windows 11 aesthetic. It might not be the Start menu from Windows 10, but it bridges some of that gap, no matter how narrow.