Last Updated on March 13, 2022 by Asif Iqbal Shaik
Windows 11 Microsoft’s newest operating system for computers, laptops, and tablets, was launched a few months ago. It introduced a brand-new, macOS-like user interface. It features a minimalist look with rounded window corners and pastel colours. Along with the Taskbar, the Start Menu has been moved to the centre of the screen instead of the convention left position. The new Start menu is one of the most contentious alterations.
There are a variety of reasons why users don’t prefer the new centred taskbar ranging from muscle memory to norms or bad functionality. In this post, we have explained how to move the Start Menu in Windows 11 to the left position.
Move Windows 11 Start Menu To The Left
With Windows 11, Microsoft has aligned the taskbar to the centre (default option). When compared to Windows 10’s left-oriented taskbar, Windows 11’s taskbar looks more like something from macOS. Aside from the positional adjustments, the taskbar in Windows 11 has lost and gained a few key functions. There are two easy ways to shift Windows 11’s Start Menu to the left.
Method 1: Using Settings App
If you have Windows 11 installed on your computer and prefer the older alignment with the icons on the left, the Settings application houses an option to alter the taskbar’s behaviour. Here’s how you can do it:
- Step 1: Open the Settings application by searching for it in the Start Search Box. You can alternatively hit Win + I on your keyboard to quickly launch Settings.
- Step 2: Navigate to the Personalization section via the left navigation pane.
- Step 3: Find and move to Taskbar section under the Personalization tab and expand the Taskbar Behaviours sub section. You may also quickly navigate to the section by right clicking on your Taskbar and choosing Taskbar Settings from the dropdown menu.
- Step 4: Finally, choose Left from the dropdown menu present right next to Taskbar Alignment.
That’s it! The Start Menu on Windows 11 along with other taskbar icons will now move to the left. There are no reboots required since the change is instant. You can always revert back by heading back over to the same location and choosing Center from the dropdown.
Method 2: Use Startdock Start11
Start11 is a third-party programme from Stardock Software that is worth checking out if you prefer a higher level of customization than what Windows 11 offers. It allows you to move the taskbar icons from the centre to the left while also providing the ability to move the entire taskbar to the top. Users can also customise the Start menu to look and feel like Windows 10.
Start11 is a layer that sits on top of Windows 11 and provides a more familiar interface for interacting with the operating system. Here’s how you can move the Start Button to the left via Start11.
- Step 1: Downloading the latest version of Start 11 from the developer’s official website.
- Step 2: Install and launch the application on your Windows 11 computer.
- Step 3: Navigate to Start11 > Start Button and toggle off the option for Position The Start Button In The Center Off The Taskbar under Related.
Some other changes you could now make include, moving the entire taskbar to the top (under Start11 > Taskbar > Taskbar Position), you could also change the Windows 11 Start Menu to now look like the one found in Windows 7 or Windows 10.
That said, what is your favourite feature with Windows 11? Do let us know by dropping a comment down below.
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