Here’s how to create and edit folders for your apps in the Windows 11 Start Menu.
How to Create Folders in the Start Menu
Creating folders in the Start Menu is easy. You first need to ensure that you have updated Windows 11 to version 22H2 in Settings > Windows Update.
Open the Start menu by clicking the icon in the Taskbar, or by pressing the Windows key. Click and hold on the first app you want to add to a folder. Drag the app icon to the second app you want to add to the folder and drop it on top. The folder will be created automatically, with both apps inside. Click anywhere off the folder to close it.
You can only create app folders in the Pinned Apps list, not in the All Apps list. If an app you want to add to a folder isn’t already pinned, go to All Apps, right-click on the app and choose Pin to Start.
How to Edit and Rename App Folders
Each folder you create using the method above will be labeled ‘Folder.’ That isn’t particularly helpful or descriptive, but thankfully you can change the folder name.
Click the folder to open it in the Start Menu. Click on the Edit Name field and enter the folder title you want to use. You can move the folder around the Start Menu the same way you move apps, using drag and drop.
That’s about it for folder editing. It would have been nice to have the option to change the color of folders, but you can’t. This option may appear in a later update of Windows 11.
How to Move Apps Out of Folders
You can easily move apps out of folders and into the pinned apps list. Folders only remain if there are two or more apps inside.
Open the folder in the Start Menu and click on the app you want to remove. Drag the app icon out of the folder boundary and onto the Pinned Apps list. If removing an app leaves only one app remaining in the folder, the remaining app will also be moved out of the folder.
If you delete an app from Windows 11, it will be removed from the folder just as it would be removed from the Start Menu.
If you think some apps are missing from the Start Menu, our guide to fixing missing Start icons should help.
How to Find the Start Menu Layout Options
Along with the ability to create folders, the Start Menu also got some new layout options in the 22H2 update. You can find the new layout options in Settings > Personalization > Start.
You can choose from three different layouts: More Pins, Default layout, or More Recommendations. Folders that you have created in the Start Menu will be treated like individual pinned apps. So if you choose the More Recommendations layout, app folders might be hidden.
You can prevent this from happening by right-clicking on a folder in the Start Menu and selecting Move to Front. This move folders, or apps, to the first position in the pinned apps section, ensuring they are always visible.
Learn more tips on customizing the Windows 11 Start Menu.
Adding App Folders to the Start Menu
The Start Menu in Windows 11 wasn’t universally loved when the operating system first launched. The addition of app folders is a step towards making this key Windows feature more usable. Now you can easily organize your apps into groups and make them easier to find.
