The Start Menu Clutter
Windows 11 completely redesigned the Start Menu, splitting it into two sections: “Pinned” apps at the top, and a massive “Recommended” section at the bottom. By default, this Recommended area constantly updates to display recently installed applications, recently opened documents, and sometimes even tips or suggested apps from the Microsoft Store. If you prefer a clean, static interface, this constantly shifting grid of icons is highly distracting. If you exclusively want to see the apps you manually chose to pin, you must disable the recommendation engine entirely.
How to Turn Off Start Menu Recommendations
You can permanently clear out the bottom half of the Start Menu via the Personalization settings.
- Click the Start Menu and type Settings, or press the Windows Key + I.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Personalization.
- In the main window, scroll down and click on Start.
- Locate the toggle switch labeled “Show recently added apps” and flip it to the Off position.
- Locate the toggle switch labeled “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more” and flip it to the Off position.
A Static Interface
The change takes effect instantly. Windows 11 will completely terminate the background process responsible for populating the bottom of the Start Menu. While the physical space allocated to the “Recommended” section cannot be fully removed in standard Windows 11, the grid itself will remain completely blank and static, ensuring a much cleaner, less chaotic desktop environment.