Personalization Add or Remove All Apps Section on Start Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the All apps section on the Start menu for your account, specific users, or all users in Windows 11.

The Start menu is comprised of three sections: Pinned, All apps, and Recommended.

The All apps section on the Start menu shows all your installed apps in either a Category, Grid, or List view. With All now on the top-level, apps are easily accessible without having to navigate to a secondary page. The new default Category view automatically groups your apps by category for quick access to your most used categories and apps. So, if your most used apps are Outlook and Solitaire, you can expect those apps to bubble up to the top in their respective categories. Categories are formed when there are at least 3 apps in each respective category. Otherwise, they will remain in the “Other” category. Grid view is ordered alphabetically like List view but allows for better scanning of all your installed apps with more horizontal real estate. The Start menu will remember your last used view so you can reliably launch your apps with the view you prefer most.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26300.8553 (Experimental 25H2) for Insiders, Microsoft has added section-level toggles to independently show or hide Pinned, Recommended, and All.

Removing the All Apps list can be handy if you prefer to only see pinned apps on Start instead.





EXAMPLE: Add or Remove All apps section on Start Menu

This option is only available starting with Windows 11 build 26300.8553 (Experimental 25H2) for Insiders.

1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on Personalization on the left side, and click/tap on Start on the right side. (see screenshot below)



3 Under Layout options, turn On (add) or Off (remove - default) All for what you want. (see screenshot below)


4 You can now close Settings if you like.

This option is only available starting with Windows 11 build 26300.8553 (Experimental 25H2) for Insiders.

1 Do step 2] (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you want.

This is the default setting.

(Contents of REG file for reference)






(Contents of REG file for reference)

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.

The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Four to configure the same policy.

1 Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2 Navigate to the policy location below you want in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)





3 In the right pane of Start Menu and Taskbar in the Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Remove All Programs list from the Start menu policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (add) or step 6 (remove) below for what you want.

This is the default setting to allow using Option One and Option Two.

This will prevent using Option One and Option Two.

7 If the policy doesn't get applied immediately, then either restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

8 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.

1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.

This is the default setting to allow using Option One and Option Two.

(Contents of REG file for reference)

This will prevent using Option One and Option Two.

(Contents of REG file for reference)

4 Save the REG file to your desktop.

5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 Either restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

9 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink