14 DAY TRIAL // Now that the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is available for everyone, all users can get to meet the new Start menu that Microsoft designed specifically to put apps in the spotlight.
The first thing you should notice when launching the Start menu is the hamburger button, which comes from Android and is available in many other Microsoft applications. The hamburger button’s main role is to provide access to what Microsoft describes as “the left rail” and grouping sections that you don’t access too often, such as user account settings, File Explorer, and the Settings app.
Microsoft says that it designed the Start menu around apps, so the “All apps” view is now available right when opening the menu, without the need to click another shortcut. Here’s Microsoft describing all the changes it has made to the Start menu in the Anniversary Update:
“We have merged the most used apps list and the All apps list into a single view and elevated it to the top level of the UI to reduce clicking and scrolling.”
“You can now access all your apps with one click on the Start menu. We have also moved important functionality such as Power, Settings, and File Explorer so that they are always visible in the left rail in the Start menu, and updated the Recently added section so that it will now show 3 entries instead of just 1, and can be expanded to see the entire list of new apps.”
Live tiles are still there
The Start menu still has the live tiles, so if you were hoping for a cleaner look, similar to the one in Windows 7, you’re not going to get it.
Of course, Microsoft has also improved the performance of the Start menu to launch faster and to offer smoother animations, so you shouldn’t experience any issues after updating to the Anniversary Update.
And just like before, the Start menu can be expanded to a Start screen should you like this one more, but we’re pretty sure that most people will stick to the default layout because it makes more sense on a PC.
