How to Create, Rename and Remove Start Menu Folders in Windows 11

With version 22H2, Windows 11 finally allows you to create folders in the Start menu, as well as to rename and delete them. This is one of the most anticipating features of the newest OS.

In Windows 11, Microsoft has drastically changed the Start menu. The most radical change is the removal of Live Tiles. The appearance of the menu has been changed as well.

The installed apps no longer appear of the left. Instead, they now listed in their own "All apps" view. The main area of the Start menu now includes two sections, Pinned apps and Recommended.

The Pinned apps section is an area where use can pin his favorite software installed on the computer. It supports several pages that you can browse with the mouse scroll wheel or special dot buttons at the right. Once you pinned all your favorite apps, you can create a backup copy of your Start menu pins.

The Recommended area highlights files and folders that you have recently worked with. It reminds of the Quick Access folder in File Explorer, but is more convenient. It makes the Start menu your primary entry point for both apps and documents.

Starting with Windows 11 build 22557, you can organized pinned apps into folders. Build 22579 has brought the ability to name the app folders.

Let's review how to organize pinned apps into folders on the Start menu.

Create a Folder in Windows 11 Start Menu

1. Open the Start menu with the Win key or by clicking the Windows logo button in the taskbar.
2. Drag one of the pinned apps over another one. There will now be a small animation to hint that this will create a folder.
3. Drop the icon you are dragging. Windows 11 will create a folder in the Start menu.

This way you can create as many Start menu folders as you need. Now, let's see how to add and remove apps from those folders.

How to add apps to a folder in the Start menu

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Drag the app you want to add to an existing folder over that folder.
3. Once you will see a box animation, release the icon you are dragging. It will instantly be added to the folder.

How to re-arrange apps in the Pinned apps folder

To rearrange apps, click on the Pinned apps folder to expand it. In the open folder, simply drag and drop icons to where you want.

Remove apps from the Pinned apps folder

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Click a folder in the Pinned apps area to expand it.
3. Now, drag the app you want to remove out of that folder back to the Start menu pane, and release it.
4. Windows 11 will move the app back to the Pinned area.

This way, you can easily remove any folder from the Start menu by excluding all apps from it.

Remove a folder from Pinned apps in Windows 11 Start menu

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Click the folder that you are going to remove to open its contents.
3. Now, drag all the icons you have in that folder outside it, one by one.
4. Once you will have just one icon in the folder, it will be automatically removed.

Finally, if you are running the most recent Windows 11 release, you can rename the folders you have created. That's also very easy.

Rename Pinned App Folders in the Start menu on Windows 11

As previously stated, Windows 11 build 22579 allows you to rename your pinned app folders in the Start menu.

This useful innovation allows you to efficiently organize icons according to their intended purpose. For example, you can put audio and video applications in the "Multimedia" folder, and browsers and mail in the "Internet" folder.

The start menu creates new folders with the name "Folder". After that, you can change this name to something meaningful. Plus, you can always change it later.

To rename a pinned app folder, do the following.

1. Open the Start menu and click the folder you want to rename.
2. Click on the Edit name box if you didn't name that folder earlier. Otherwise click the current folder's name.
3. It will now allow you to type. Fill in the desired name for the folder.
4. Finally, hit the Enter key or click on the Start menu pane outside the folder to apply the change.

By following the above steps, you can rename as many folders as you wish.

That's all about organizing pinned apps into folders on Windows 11.

Additionally, you can add or remove the user folders next to the power button. This will allow you to access them with a single click.

Add or remove user folders from the Start menu

1. Open the Settings app (Win + I).
2. Click on Personalization on the left.
3. On the right, select Start.
4. Click on the Folders button on the next page of Settings.
5. Specify the apps and icons you want to see in the Start menu for faster access. Use the toggle switch options next to the each folder and app.

You are done. This way, you can have icons for Settings, File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, Network, and your Personal folder. Sadly, you cannot add a custom folder here.

You can find more details on this feature in the following guide.

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