To turn off Category in the Windows 11 Start menu, open Start, select All apps, then choose Grid or List from the All apps view selector. This changes how installed apps are displayed; it does not remove the All apps section.
Switch All apps from Category to Grid or List
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Open the Start menu.
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Select All apps.
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In the All apps section, open the view selector and choose Grid or List instead of Category.
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If needed, close and reopen Start to check that the new view is still selected. Microsoft says Start remembers the last All apps view you chose. Microsoft Support: Customize the Windows Start Menu
The selector’s position can vary by installed release. Microsoft’s support page documents Category, Grid, and List as All apps views, but does not describe a separate Category on/off switch.
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Category is different from Recommended
Category is a way to view installed applications inside All apps. Recommended is a separate Start section for recently opened files, documents, and installed apps. Microsoft describes All apps as the place to browse installed applications and Recommended as a separate area for recent or suggested material. Microsoft Support: Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Start menu in Windows
If your aim is to hide Recommended content, its providers have separate controls in Start customization settings. Microsoft says that when all Recommended providers are turned off, the Recommended sections collapse and are no longer shown. Those controls do not change the All apps view. Microsoft Support: Customize the Windows Start Menu
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App-launch tracking is another separate setting
Windows also has a setting named Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches. Microsoft’s privacy guidance places it at Settings > Privacy & security > Recommendations & offers and says it lets Windows personalize Start based on the apps you launch. It does not select Category, Grid, or List. Microsoft Support: Privacy settings for Recommendations & offers in Windows 11
Quick Recap
Best Value
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