Windows 11 Revamps Start Menu with Smarter Features, AI Upgrades, and Faster Performance

Microsoft is rolling out one of its most noticeable updates to Windows 11: a redesigned Start Menu focused on usability, speed, and intelligence. While previous updates prioritised security and system stability, this latest release puts the user experience front and centre.

The new Start Menu features a cleaner, more flexible layout. Pinned apps are now easier to organise, and recommendations are smarter, surfacing apps and documents based on recent activity and usage patterns. The goal? Faster access to what matters most.

A redesigned “Recommended” section now does more than list recently opened files. It suggests frequently used documents and even anticipates next steps in ongoing projects. This smarter experience helps users move between tasks more seamlessly, whether for work or downtime.

Another major addition is the ability to create folders within the Start Menu, letting users group related apps by task, category, or workflow. The result is a layout that feels more personal, more organised, and more efficient.

Beyond the Start Menu, Windows 11 is also getting a wave of AI-powered features, including:

• A built-in AI agent for adjusting system settings and offering help

• “Click to Do” image and text actions

• AI enhancements in Paint, Photos, and Snipping Tool

• Visual search with Copilot Vision

• Rich image descriptions for screen readers

• Smarter search results in Windows Search

• Writing assistance in Notepad

• Intelligent actions from within File Explorer

These upgrades aim to “make our experiences more intuitive, more accessible, and ultimately more useful,” according to Microsoft’s blog post. The integrated AI assistant can even help troubleshoot problems, such as making the cursor more visible.

What’s driving this change is user feedback. Microsoft says it has spent the last year listening to customers through the Insider Program and community forums. The result is a Start Menu that looks better, works smarter, and feels faster.

And users will feel that speed: opening the menu, launching apps, and searching now happen almost instantly, with smoother animations and quicker response times.

The new Start Menu update begins rolling out globally this month, starting with devices that meet compatibility requirements. Wider availability is expected in the coming weeks. If you want to get it sooner, you can manually check for updates in your system settings.