Microsoft made numerous changes to the start menu over the years, some more welcome than others.
The company just released a new Windows 11 build 25309 to Insiders Dev Channel that features many new features and fixes. Among new features, there’s one that many Insiders might have overlooked that’s related to the Start menu.
As spotted by the Twitter user @PhantomOfEarth the updated Start menu comes with a nifty feature and still hidden capability under ID: 42916428, which lets users disable Start menu recommendations that show tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more. Luckily this setting can now be toggled off from the Start menu settings for anyone who doesn’t like to see these kinds of Microsoft recommendations.
Dev build 25309 has new (hidden) Start menu recommendations to show tips, shortcuts, new apps and more. This can be toggled off from Start menu settings for those who don't want to see this kind of recommended content
vivetool /enable /id:42916428 pic.twitter.com/Soq7C8V5li
— PhantomOcean3 🌳 (@PhantomOfEarth) March 2, 2023
To access the new feature you should navigate through Settings – Personalization – Start where you can disable this feature and remove recommendations together from the Start menu.
Have in mind that the toggle feature comes disabled by default, but Windows Insiders can activate it using the Windows features configuration tool, ViveTool.
It’s still unclear whether and when Microsoft will ship this feature to the stable release.