How to Use the Windows 11 Start Menu and Taskbar

Windows 11 moved the Start button to the center and changed how programs are pinned and launched. Here's how to find everything and customize it to your liking.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Open and navigate the Start menu
2.Pin your most-used apps to the Start menu
3.Move the Start button back to the left
4.Use the right-click Start menu for power user options

Open and navigate the Start menu

~36s

Click the Start button (the Windows logo, now centered on the Taskbar) or press the Windows key on your keyboard. The Start menu opens with two sections: "Pinned" apps at the top (apps you've chosen to keep there for quick access) and "Recommended" at the bottom (recently opened files and apps that Windows suggests). Click any pinned app to open it. Click "All apps" in the upper-right corner of the Start menu to see a full alphabetical list of everything installed on your computer.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: To search for any program, file, or setting, start typing immediately after opening the Start menu. A search bar appears automatically and shows matching results.

Pin your most-used apps to the Start menu

~37s

To add an app to your Start menu pinned section: click StartAll apps → right-click on any app → "Pin to Start." It will appear in the Pinned section. To remove an app from the Pinned section: right-click it → "Unpin from Start." You can drag pinned apps to rearrange them. To pin an app to the Taskbar (the bar at the bottom where you want one-click access): right-click the app in the Start menu → "Pin to Taskbar."

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: The Taskbar is the most convenient place for apps you use every single day — your browser, email, and any key programs. Keep the Taskbar to 5-7 apps for best organization.

Move the Start button back to the left

~23s

If you prefer the traditional left-corner Start button: right-click any empty space on the Taskbar → "Taskbar settings" → scroll down to "Taskbar behaviors" → click to expand → find "Taskbar alignment" → change it from "Center" to "Left." The Start button and all Taskbar icons immediately shift to the left side — just like Windows 10. You can change it back at any time.

Use the right-click Start menu for power user options

~27s

Right-clicking the Start button (instead of left-clicking) opens a separate power menu with quick access to: File Explorer, Settings, Control Panel, Task Manager, Device Manager, Disk Management, Event Viewer, Command Prompt, and Power options (Restart, Shut down, Sleep). This hidden menu is very useful for troubleshooting or accessing system settings quickly.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: You can also access this power menu by pressing Windows key + X on your keyboard. It's sometimes called the "WinX menu" or "Power User menu."

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Use the Windows 11 Start Menu and Taskbar

Need more help? Get Expert Help from a TekSure Tech

If you recently upgraded to Windows 11 or got a new computer with Windows 11, you may have noticed the Start button has moved from the bottom-left corner to the center of the Taskbar. This change catches many Windows 10 users off guard. The Start menu itself also looks different — instead of tiles, you see a grid of pinned apps and a recommended section below it.

This guide explains how the Windows 11 Start menu and Taskbar work, how to find programs you use, how to pin your favorites, and how to move the Start button back to the left if you prefer that layout.

Rate this guide

How helpful was this guide?

windows 11

start menu

taskbar

customize

pinned apps

windows basics