How to Clean Up the Windows 11 Start Menu: Hide Recommended and Stop the Ads

To clean up the Windows 11 Start menu, open Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the switches you don't want - turn off all the Recommended ones and that whole section disappears.

It takes about two minutes, needs no extra software, and works on Windows 11 Home and Pro.

Below are the exact switches, one catch to know about, and the new Start options Microsoft is testing.

Hide the Recommended Section

There's no single "hide Recommended" button - instead, Windows removes the section once everything that fills it is switched off.

1. Open the Start settings. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start.
2. Turn off Show recently added apps. New installs stop appearing at the top.
3. Turn off Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists. Recent documents and photos disappear from Start.
4. Turn off Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more. This is the one that removes app suggestions and promotions.
5. Turn off any other Recommended switch you see. Some PCs also show Show websites from your browser history.

Open Start again and you'll see just your pinned apps and the All section. Prefer to remove one item only? Right-click it in Recommended and choose Remove from list.

Tidy the All Section and Pinned Apps

• Change the view. Use the View drop-down next to the All heading to switch between Category, Grid and List - Windows remembers your choice.
• Hide most used apps. Turn off Show most used apps in Start settings if you don't want that row on top.
• Unpin what you never use. Right-click any pinned app and choose Unpin from Start - then drag the rest into the order you like.
• Group apps into folders. Drag one pinned app onto another to make a folder, which keeps Pinned to one tidy row.

Remove the Rest of the Clutter

• Phone panel. Turn off Show mobile device in Start if you don't use Phone Link.
• Account nags. Turn off Show account-related notifications to hide Microsoft account reminders.
• Shortcuts next to Power. Open Folders and add Downloads, Documents or Settings for one-click access.

Some of the clutter is preinstalled apps you never asked for. A free tool such as FluentTweaker removes unwanted Windows apps in one go, so they vanish from Start for good.

What's Coming: A Smaller, Fully Custom Start

Microsoft is testing a more flexible Start menu with Windows Insiders. According to Windows Central, you'll be able to:

• Pick a size. Small or large, with Windows choosing automatically by default.
• Hide whole sections. Switch off Pinned, Recommended or All one by one.
• Hide your name and picture from the bottom of Start.

It isn't in the regular version of Windows 11 yet, and the names may change before it ships.

Get it with the free Microsoft PowerToys pack, which also includes window snapping, a colour picker and more.

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