Microsoft designed a new centered-based modern, minimalistic Start Menu on Windows 11. The new Start Menu has a useful section called Recommended section.
The Recommended section lets users access shortcut to the newly added apps, most used apps, and folders on the system. This section is helpful for users but not everyone because it creates privacy issues when letting someone use your PC.
However, if you are concerned about personal privacy, you can disable the Recommended section. Windows 11 allow you to disable the Recommended area whenever you need it.
In this article, I will show you an effective and proven method to remove the Recommended apps and the entire section that will help you to get rid of the privacy and security issues.
Let’s get started.
In the Recommended section, the system will show the most recently added and most used apps. This section also displays the recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer.
However, if the Recommended section on Start Menu is annoying and unnecessary to you, there is an option you can disable this section. Using the Settings app and the Group Policy Editor, you can easily disable the Recommended section from your Start Menu.
Okay, let’s see how to disable the Recommended section from the Start Menu.
Here are the steps to remove the Recommended section from Windows 11 Start menu:
1. Use System Settings
The first and the most effective and effortless method to disable the Windows 11 Start menu Recommended section is using the system Settings app. You can completely control and customize the Recommended section using the system Settings app.
Okay, let’s see how to do this.
Here are the steps to disable the Recommended section using the Settings app:
- Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows+I keys on your keyboard. Alternatively, open the Start Menu and click on the Settings app under the Pinned section.
- Select the Personalization tab on the left-side menu panel.
- Scroll down and click on the Start on the right-side window.
- Turn off the following options to remove/disable the Recommended section from the Start Menu:
- Show recently added apps.
- Show most used apps.
- Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer.
- After toggling off all the options, the Recommended section is disabled.
Also, check out the easiest way to Install Active Directory Users and Computers on Windows 11.
2. Use Group Policy Editor
Another tested method to disable the Recommended section is using the Group Policy Editor.
As part of the recent Windows 11 release, version 22H2, Microsoft has included a policy for administrators to disable the Recommended section through the User Configuration settings in the Group Policy Editor.
Here are the steps to disable the Recommended section using the Group Policy Editor:
- Open the Windows Run program by pressing the Win+R.
- Type the gpedit.msc command and hit Enter key to open the Group Policy Editor.
- Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
- Double click on the Remove Recommended section from the Start Menu option under the Setting column to open the Edit window.
- Choose the Enabled option, click on Apply to save the changes, and then click OK.
- Reboot your computer. After restart, your Recommended section is successfully disabled.
On Windows 11, the newly designed Start Menu has two sections. The upper section is the Pinned app section, which displays the shortcut for pinned apps. And the bottom one is Recommended section, which shows the most recently added and used apps and folders.
If you want to remove the specific apps and Items from Recommended section, you can easily do it from the Start Menu. Follow the steps below to remove the recommended apps and folders.
Also read, Mouse Cursor Disappeared in Windows 11.
Here are the steps to remove the Recommended apps from Windows 11 Start Menu:
- Open the Start Menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard or clicking on the Windows icon on the left-side taskbar.
- Here you will find the Recommended section under the Pinned section.
- Right-click on a specific item and select the Remove from list.
- Apply the same procedure to remove all items on the Recommended section.
If you want to add applications to the Windows 11 Start Menu Pinned App section to access quickly whenever you need them, you can do it easily.
Microsoft Windows 11 allows you to add applications on the Start Menu as much as you need. So, let’s see how to do this.
Here are the steps to add apps to Pinned Apps section on Windows 11 Start Menu:
- Right-click on the app icon on the desktop that you want to add to the Pinned Apps section.
- Select the Pin to Start option.
- Open the Start Menu; now, the app is listed at the bottom of the Pinned App section.
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On Windows 11, you can also remove the pinned apps from the Start Menu Pinned app section. If you don’t need any particular app on the Start Menu, you can remove them whenever you want.
Here are the steps to remove the pinned apps on Windows 11 Start Menu:
- Open the Start Menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard or clicking on the Windows icon on the left-side taskbar.
- Here you will find the Pinned section under the search bar.
- Right-click on a specific item and select the Remove from list.
Quickly check out our epic guide on stop Apps running in background Windows 11.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I remove most apps from the Start menu?
To remove the most app from the Start Menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle off the Show most used apps option.
How do I turn off Windows recommendations?
To turn off the Windows recommendations section from the Start Menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle off the Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer options.
Can I Remove Specific Files From The Start Menu?
Yes, you can. To remove specific files from the Start menu, right-click on the file you want to remove and choose the Remove from list option.
How Do I Turn Off Recent Files in Windows 11?
To disable the Recent Files from Windows 11 Start Menu, go to the Settings >> Personalization >> Start. Then turn off Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer option.
Final Thoughts
The Recommended section is helpful whether you like quickly accessing the most used apps or folders. You can use this feature to access the newly installed app quickly.
But, in some cases, the Recommended section creates privacy issues. The feature shows the most recent apps and folders, creating privacy issues when someone gets access to your computer. So, to prevent this issue, you can disable the Recommended section.
That’s it. Plenty of solutions to consider. Thanks for staying with me until the end of the post.
See you next one. Peace!
