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To pin an app, find it in Start or Search, right-click it, and select Pin to Start. To remove a pin, right-click the app in Start’s Pinned section and select Unpin from Start. Unpinning removes the shortcut from Start; it does not uninstall the app.

Pin an app to the Windows 11 Start menu

  1. Open Start by selecting the Start button or pressing the Windows key. Alternatively, select the taskbar’s Search box and type the app’s name.
  2. In the search results, right-click the app.
  3. Select Pin to Start. The app is added to Start’s Pinned area.

You can also browse installed apps: open Start, select All, then right-click the app and choose Pin to Start. Microsoft documents these options in its Windows Start menu instructions.

Unpin an app from Start

  1. Open Start.
  2. Find the app in the Pinned section. If it is not visible, use the navigation within that section to locate it.
  3. Right-click the app’s pin and select Unpin from Start.

This removes the app’s shortcut from the Start menu. It does not uninstall the app, so you can still find installed apps through All or Search.

Start pinning is different from taskbar pinning

Windows has separate commands for these locations. Pin to Start adds an app to Start’s Pinned area; Pin to taskbar adds an icon to the taskbar. To remove an icon from the taskbar, use Unpin from taskbar, not Unpin from Start. See Microsoft’s taskbar customization instructions.

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Rearrange or group your Start pins

  • Change the order: Drag a pinned app to its new position.
  • Create a folder: Drag one pin onto another. You can rename the folder and drag additional pins into it.

Keyboard and accessibility navigation

Press the Windows key to open Start, then navigate its Pinned and All sections. Microsoft provides additional keyboard and screen-reader guidance in its Start menu accessibility instructions.

If “Pin to Start” is missing

Microsoft’s general instructions describe the standard pinning procedure but do not cover every app, Windows build, or organization-managed device. If the command is absent for a particular app, the documented procedure does not establish the cause; do not assume the same context menu is available for every app or device.

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Optional: app-launch personalization

Windows has a separate privacy control for app-launch tracking that can affect Start and Search personalization. It is not required to pin or unpin apps. Microsoft lists it under Start > Settings > Privacy & security > General; see General privacy settings in Windows.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 2
Dell Latitude 5420 14' FHD Business Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-1145G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, Camera, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Latitude 5420 14" FHD Business Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-1145G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, Camera, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro (Renewed)
256 GB SSD of storage.; Multitasking is easy with 16GB of RAM; Equipped with a blazing fast Core i5 2.00 GHz processor.
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Bestseller No. 3
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14" diagonal, 1366x768 resolution, HD BrightView LED, Glossy NON-TOUCH Display
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Best Value
Windows 11 Laptop with i3 Processor 15.6" Work Laptop for College Students
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Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.