Windows 11 introduced a fresh and modern interface that many users have embraced, but it also brought along some changes that not everyone may find to their liking. One such change is the Start Menu’s “Recommended” section, which displays suggested apps and files based on your usage habits. When you open any apps from the Start Menu or files from File Explorer, they get listed in the recommended section of the Start Menu.
If you dislike this Windows 11 recommended feature and want to remove it from the Start Menu, follow the guide till the end. In this guide, we will discuss how to remove the Start Menu recommended section on Windows 11. So, without ado let’s get started.
How to Remove Items from Start Menu Recommended Section
The recommended section is the quickest option to access recently opened items on Windows 11. If you want to remove a particular item from the recommended list, then there is no need to remove the recommended section from the Start Menu. You only need to remove the specific items.
Here are the steps you can follow to do it.
1. Open the Start Menu by clicking on the Windows icon on the taskbar. Or else, press the Windows icon on the keyboard.
2. You will get the Recommended section on your Start Menu.
3. Here, hover your mouse pointer to the item you want to remove from the recommended.
4. Then, right-click on the item, and from the context menu, select the Remove from list option. Similarly, you can remove other items from the recommended section.
After you complete the steps, the item will no longer be available in the recommended item list section. However, the file will still be available at its original location.
How to Remove Recommended Section from the Start Menu
If your Recommended section is filled with numerous items, deleting them individually can become a time-consuming task. However, if you’re not a fan of this feature, you have the option to entirely eliminate the recommended section from your Start Menu.
Doing so can provide a cleaner and more minimalistic Start Menu, enabling you to organize it according to your preferences, ultimately resulting in a cleaner and more personalized user experience.
Here are the steps you can follow to remove the Recommended section from Start Menu:
1. Click on the Windows icon to open the Start Menu and click on Settings. Alternatively, you can also open Windows settings by using the Windows + I keyboard shortcut.
2. Settings window will appear. Here, click on the Personalization tab from the left pane of the Settings window.
3. Then, select the Start options present to the right of your screen. To configure Start Menu options.
4. Here, you’ll find the Start Menu layout options. You can select any of the options, including More Pins, Default, and More Recommendations. However, this will only change the layout, not remove the Recommended Section. To do that, follow the next step.
5. To remove the Recommended section, turn off the Show recently added apps toggle to hide recently installed apps. Turn off the Show most used apps toggle to hide frequently used apps. Turn off the Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer toggle to clear recent files from the list.
6. Once you have completed the steps, reopen the Start Menu, and the Recommended section should no longer display any items.
Note
If you want to enable the Start Menu Recommended section on Windows, turn on all these options that we have just turned off.
With the Start Menu Recommendations section now disabled, you’ll notice a cleaner and more personalized Start Menu. You’ll no longer see suggested apps and files based on your usage patterns.
Conclusion
That’s it; this is how you can remove the Start Menu recommended section on Windows 11. You will no longer see recently opened items on the Start Menu. Removing the Start Menu Recommended section can declutter your Start Menu, enhance privacy, and offer a more personalized computing experience.
However, if you want to move the center Start Menu to the left corner of your screen like you used to have it on Windows 7 and Windows 11, you can check out our detailed guide on moving the Windows 11 Start Menu to the left corner.
