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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Windows 11 version 26H1 Release Preview adds controls to resize Start, rename Recommended to Recent, hide your name and profile picture, and show or hide the Pinned, Recent, and All sections. The options are rolling out gradually, so they may not appear on every eligible Insider device yet.
What changed in the Windows 11 Start menu?
Microsoft describes the update as adding several Start-menu customizations. The controls cover the menu’s size, the identity information shown on it, and the visibility of its main sections. Microsoft’s [September 22, 2026 support update, KB5124006] documents the changes for OS build 28000.3086; the matching [Release Preview notes] describe build 28000.3079.
- Size: Choose Automatic, Small, or Large.
- Section name: Recommended is renamed Recent.
- Identity: Hide your name and profile picture on Start.
- Sections: Control Pinned, Recent, and All independently.
How to change Start-menu settings
Open Settings > Personalization > Start. Microsoft also labels Personalization as “Personalize” on one support page. The size options are under Start menu size; use the redesigned Start settings page to adjust the identity and section-visibility controls.
Make Start smaller or larger
In Start menu size, select Small or Large. Automatic is the default. The update provides these three choices; Microsoft’s documentation does not specify pixel dimensions or a fixed number of items shown at each size.
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Remove Recent or other sections
Turn off the individual visibility control for Recent, Pinned, or All to hide that section. Because the controls are independent, you can keep one section visible while hiding another. “Recent” is the new name for the section previously called “Recommended.”
Hide your account name and picture
Use the control labeled Hide your name and profile picture on Start. This changes whether that identity information appears on Start; it is separate from the section-visibility controls.
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Which Insider build has the customizable Start menu?
The settings are documented for Windows 11 version 26H1 Release Preview. Microsoft’s Release Preview notes identify build 28000.3079, released September 11, 2026; the later preview update KB5124006 is OS build 28000.3086, dated September 22, 2026. The published documentation associates the feature with these Release Preview updates, but the gradual rollout means the build number alone does not guarantee the controls are enabled on a particular PC.
| Channel or update | Build and date | Start-menu controls | Availability and status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Preview, Windows 11 version 26H1 | 28000.3079; September 11, 2026 | Documented in the matching Release Preview notes | Gradual rollout; eligible devices may receive the controls at different times. |
| Release Preview update KB5124006 | OS build 28000.3086; September 22, 2026 | Microsoft Support documents the customizations | Gradual rollout; availability is not guaranteed on every device immediately. |
| Experimental (Future Platforms) | Build 29671.1000; update dated September 25, 2026 | Start customization improvements were removed from that channel’s release notes | Experimental features are provisional and may change, be removed, or never ship. |
Why the new options may not appear yet
Microsoft is enabling the feature through a gradual rollout. Its notes say that features and improvements “might not be available to all users” during this process. Therefore, a PC on an associated Release Preview build can still lack the settings while rollout continues.
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Check Settings > Personalization > Start for the controls. If they are absent, the published rollout information does not establish a user setting that forces them to appear; availability may simply not have reached that device. The Release Preview build notes and KB5124006 are the relevant announcements for this feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How likely is the feature to reach standard Windows?
Release Preview and Experimental are different contexts. Microsoft’s Experimental (Future Platforms) page states that the Start-menu customization improvements were removed from that channel’s release notes on September 25, 2026, with Microsoft saying it hopes to bring them in a future update. That is not confirmation that they have been released to all Windows users.
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Microsoft warns that Experimental builds can be unstable and have limited documentation, and that features in them may change, be removed, or never reach users beyond Windows Insiders. Treat the Experimental-channel appearance or removal of a feature as provisional rather than as a shipping commitment.
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