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How to Change the Windows 10 Start Menu
Customize the Start Menu to suit your needs
By Brad Stephenson Brad Stephenson Freelance Contributor Western Sydney University Brad Stephenson is a freelance tech and geek culture writer with 12+ years' experience. He writes about Windows 10, Xbox One, and cryptocurrency. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 11, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Change the Start Menu Color Customize the Start Menu Size Pin Apps to the Start Menu Adjust Start Menu Pins Turn Live Tiles On and Off Extra: Get the Windows 8 Start Screen in Windows 10 The Windows 10 Start Menu is a popular tool for accessing favorite apps quickly and for restarting or shutting down a computer or tablet. While this feature is mostly known for its functionality, the Start Menu is also incredibly customizable and can be changed to reflect your personal design aesthetic and workflow. This article addresses how to change the Windows 10 Start Menu color and size, plus pinning apps and websites, turning Live Tiles on or off, and getting the Windows 8 Start Screen back. Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10. How to Get the Classic Start Menu Back in Windows 11 How to Customize Windows 11 How to Change the Windows 10 Start Menu Color
The Windows 10 Start Menu color is based on the custom accent color you might have chosen when setting up your device. The accent color settings will change the color of select parts of the Windows 10 operating system such as app windows and the taskbar. Here's how to change it. The Windows 10 accent color can be changed as many times you like. Open the Start Menu using the Windows key on your keyboard, Cortana, or the Windows button on the bottom-left of your screen. Select the Settings gear icon to open Settings. Select Personalization. From the left menu, select Colors. Select your preferred color from the available options. Your system's accent color will update in real-time. If you want your Windows 10 Start Menu to have a solid color, uncheck the option under Transparency effects. How to Customize the Windows 10 Start Menu' s Size
There are two main options that can be used to change the size of the Windows 10 Start Menu. Adding more tiles. Enabling this option will add an extra vertical row of tiles to the Start Menu to, as the setting's name suggests, allow more tiles to be seen. When enabled, this setting will make the Start Menu slightly wider than usual. This setting can be found by opening up the Windows 10 Settings app, clicking Personalization, and then clicking Start from the left menu.Manually resizing the menu. After opening the Windows 10 Start Menu, you can manually resize it by clicking the top-right corner and dragging to the size or height you wish. Alternatively, the Start Menu can also be resized on Windows 10 devices with a touchscreen by using a finger in place of a mouse. How to Pin Apps to the Windows 10 Start Menu
All Windows 10 apps can be pinned to the Start Menu. Pinning apps to the Start Menu makes them easier to find so doing so can be particularly useful for apps that you use on a regular basis. Here's how to pin an app. Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu. Locate the app you want to pin from the app list. Right-click the app's name or icon to bring up its options menu. Alternatively, you can also perform a long press on it if your Windows 10 device has a touchscreen. Select Pin to Start. The app will immediately appear to the right of the app list on your Start Menu. How to Resize and Move Windows 10 Start Menu Pins
All Start Menu pins can be moved simply by clicking on them and dragging them to the desired location. A variety of size options are also available for many Windows 10 app pins which can be selected to make more space for other pins or to display extra information on the pin's tile. The supported tile sizes are Small, Medium, Wide, and Large. Some sizes may not be available for some apps. To change the size of a pin's tile, right-click on it to bring up its menu, click Resize, and then select your preferred size. How to Turn Windows 10 Live Tiles On and Off
Many apps support Live Tile functionality which allows their pinned tiles to display updated information or images without the need for the app to be opened. Examples of Live Tile content include weather forecasts, news headlines, message notifications, and fitness data. To activate or deactivate a pin's Live Tile, right-click on it to bring up its menu, click on More, and then select Turn Live Tile on or Turn Live Tile off. How to Get the Windows 8 Start Screen in Windows 10
One of the defining aspects of the Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems was the Start Screen that acted like a full-screen Start Menu. This was replaced in Windows 10 with the smaller Start Menu but there is a way to get the Start Screen back which requires no hacking or installation of any third-party software. Here's how to get the Start Screen back. Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu. Select Settings. Select Personalization. Select Start from the left menu. Select Use Start full screen. Your Start Menu will now fill the entire screen when opened and will act almost exactly the same as the Windows 8 Start Screen. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Organize Windows 10 Start Menu How to Open Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10 5 Best Free Start Menu Replacements for Windows 8 How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10 How to Properly Reboot (Restart) a Windows Computer How to Change Screen Savers on Windows 10, 8 and 7 How to Use the Charms Bar in Windows 8 How to Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8.1 Windows 11: News, Release Date, and Specs How to Fix Overscan in Windows 10 to Fit to Screen How to Pin and Unpin a Program in Windows 7 List of Windows Version Numbers How to Enable or Disable the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10 How to Scan a Document in Windows How to Access the Windows 10 Startup Folder How to Set up Parental Controls in Windows 10 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies