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To switch the Windows 11 Start menu’s app organization, open Start, go to All, and use the view dropdown to choose Category, Grid, or List. Choose Grid or List for alphabetical browsing; choose Category to group apps. On a managed PC, an administrator can also hide Category so it is no longer offered.
Change the All apps view
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Open Start and select or scroll to the All section. Its exact entry point can vary with the Start menu layout.
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Open the view dropdown in All.
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Select Grid or List to browse apps alphabetically, or select Category to group them. Windows remembers the view you last used, so the choice persists when you return to All.
What each view shows
| View | Organization | Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Groups apps by category. Frequently used apps can appear higher within their categories; categories with fewer than three apps appear under “Other.” | Grouped browsing |
| Grid | Apps are ordered alphabetically. | Uses more horizontal space for scanning. |
| List | Apps are ordered alphabetically. | List format. |
Hide Category on a managed PC
If this is a work or school PC and Category should not be available to users, an administrator can enable Microsoft’s Hide Category view in the Start menu policy through the applicable Group Policy or CSP path. Microsoft says enabling it removes Category from the view choices and makes Grid the default. The policy is documented for Windows 11 version 24H2 with KB5067036; it is not available in earlier Windows 11 versions. See Microsoft’s Start policy documentation.
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This is different from hiding the entire All apps list: Microsoft documents a separate Hide app list policy for that purpose. The Category policy is an administrator control, not the ordinary user-level dropdown.
Availability and layout differences
Microsoft documented Category and Grid as part of a redesigned, scrollable Start menu introduced to Windows Insiders in 2025. The Canary announcement described a staged rollout, and the Beta announcement said the experience was gradually rolling out to Windows 11 version 24H2 Insiders. Those announcements describe availability at the time, not a guarantee that every PC has the same Start layout. Microsoft’s customization guidance documents the three views and their selector: Customize the Start menu in Windows 11.
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A September 22, 2026 preview release note for Windows 11 26H1 describes a newer Start settings page with independent section toggles, including All. That is preview-specific information, so do not assume every Windows 11 build has that Settings page. The view dropdown in All is the documented way to change between Category, Grid, and List.
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