4 things Microsoft could learn from Start11 to make Windows better

Using Start11 has given me some ideas for how I'd like Microsoft to improve Windows 11, particularly when it comes to the Start menu and taskbar. Here are some of the things I think Microsoft could realistically do better by learning from Start11.

1 Show me more content

The Windows 11 Start menu is painfully basic

One thing I really like about the Start11 Start menu is that most of the options provide an interface that's richer in terms of the content you can access from a single screen. The native Windows 11 Start menu revolves around the concept of pages, making it more of a hassle to find anything. The pinned area is based on scrollable pages, the all apps list is a different page entirely, and so is the Recommended section. Any navigation you do on the Windows 11 Start menu takes you out of the initial context, making it more likely you won't want to use it.

Start11 has a few styles for the Start menu, but I think the one Microsoft should try to replicate the most is the "Windows App style." This one shows you your pinned area and recommended files next to the all apps list, which is pretty similar to the concept of Windows 10, albeit with the modernized Windows 11 look. This would be perfect since it gives you access to all your apps without forcing you to move away from the main view.

But the pinned area itself is also better here because if you have more items, it scrolls more naturally, rather than being split into pages. And the Recommended section, when expanded, also shows you the additional items within the main view, rather than opening a new page. I prefer having more options readily available; otherwise, I'll end up using my keyboard to just search for the item I'm looking for.

2 More organization options

Folders are good, but they could be better

Something else I also love about Start11 is the ability to organize my Start menu icons in a multitude of ways. Microsoft lets you create folders on the Start menu, which works well enough, but Start11 goes further with this idea and gives you more ways to organize your apps. First, you can create groups, which lets you group apps under the same umbrella, but keeps them all accessible with one click. Start11 actually even lets you customize the look of a group, though I don't think Microsoft needs to go that far. Just having groups at all would be nice.

But Start11 does have more options still. Within any group, you can create tabs, giving you more options to add all kinds of content to your Start menu without taking up more space. And on top of that, you can add more pages, including your own groups, tabs, and pins. This is made even better by allowing you to pin folders and files to the Start menu. You can add a folder as a group or tab, allowing you to navigate to frequent files without launching File Explorer every time.

Should Microsoft replicate all of this? Maybe not, but Start11 definitely leaves me wishing the native Start menu could do more, and there's so much Microsoft could take from here.

3 More customization options

Let me make it more my own

Diving into all the customization options available in Start11 would be a huge rabbit hole, and I don't think Microsoft needs to do anything too close to what Start11 does. But some more customization options would be really nice. For example, Start11 lets me adjust the transparency of my Start menu and taskbar, which I think is sorely missing in Windows 11 proper. I like the Mica effect, but I think the idea of letting my background shine through a bit more would be really nice. Start11 lets me do that and it's great.

That's the biggest request for me, but Start11 also lets me choose colors for groups on the Start menu, which Microsoft could do for folders. Start11 even has an option for changing the colors of icons inside a group to match the theme, and it's awesome. I don't expect Microsoft to do that, though.

4 Quick access to folders

Why go through File Explorer every time?

I already mentioned above how the Start menu lets you add any folder from your PC to it, but I want to touch on it again. Being able to add any folder to your Start menu means you can quickly access the content from that folder without jumping through hoops each time in the File Explorer. For example, I have an XDA folder where I store all the images I use for work, and usually, when I want to access it, I want to go to one of the subfolders. Being able to find that subfolder directly in the Start menu is far more convenient than having to open the Pictures folder, then XDA, then find the folder I want.

Start11 goes beyond just adding folders to the Start menu, though. You can pin folders to the taskbar, either as a simple shortcut or as a folder menu, so you can browse your folder's subfolders without going through File Explorer. Even the system folder shortcuts in the Start menu can be customized this way, making it easier to get to the files you want at any given moment.

A good start to make Windows 11 better

There are a ton of features in Start11 that I didn't go over here because I don't think they're essential, but the changes I highlighted are just a handful of improvements that would make everyone's time with Windows 11 a lot more productive. Giving users more control is usually a good thing, and if it means making your laptop (or PC) work better for you, then it's definitely something Microsoft should embrace.

It's also interesting to note that some of these improvements are things Microsoft has done in the past. The Windows 10 Start menu did have the all apps list next to the pinned area. It did have groups for tiles, in addition to folders, which helped me keep all my apps visible and organized. These concepts would be great to bring back with a modern twist.