Start10 is here, and it also supports the light theme

Apr 22, 2019 12:40 GMT  ·  By

Start menu apps have been part of a dormant software category whose adoption skyrocketed back in 2012 after the release of Windows 8.

Nearly 7 years ago, Microsoft decided to remove the Start menu and the Start button from the Windows desktop and instead provide users with a completely new Start screen that used live tiles.

This sudden change made many feel lost on the desktop, especially when migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 8, and the lack of a Start menu turned working in Windows into a painful experience.

Third-party Start menu apps thus came to the rescue, and not only that they brought back the Start menu, but they also offered a series of extras, like further customizations, new looks, and additional features.

Despite Windows 10 bringing back the Start menu with a modern feel, third-party Start menu apps continue to be highly popular, partially thanks to the success they enjoyed in the Windows 8 era.

Start10 is currently one of the most advanced choices, and the latest update is here to ensure that users would feel like home even after installing the next Windows 10 feature update.

Called May 2019 Update, this Windows 10 update is due in late May, and it is currently available for Windows insiders enrolled in the Release Preview ring.

With the update to version 1.7, Start10 is getting a major improvement in anticipation of the upcoming Windows 10 release: support for the new light theme that this update brings to users.

Start10 on Windows 10 preview builds

The Start menu can thus adapt to the new visual facelift, and as you can see in the screenshots here, Start10 neatly blends into the rest of the operating system. What needs to be improved, however, is the integration of some of the available Start buttons in the light theme, as several of them are hard to observe when enabled.

The skin that I used in these screenshots is the modern style, which doesn’t include any live tiles – Microsoft is also believed to be looking into a simplified design for the Start menu without live tiles, so the design here could get pretty close to Redmond’s planned version.

Start10 also comes with a plethora of customization options, so you can also choose between various Start buttons and even define your own.

One of the features that I think you’ll love is a slide that lets you adjust the taskbar transparency level. This allows you to completely hide the taskbar in a way that makes the desktop overall look and feel much more modern. However, you shouldn’t do this just yet on the light theme in Windows 10 version 1903, as some of the icons on the taskbar become very hard to notice without a background. This also depends on the wallpaper, so it’s all up to you to come up with a unique configuration.

Start10 on Windows 10 preview builds

Start10 lets you set up the shortcuts you want to be displayed on the right pane, as well as the action of the power button. You can even hide the Start button completely, if you like the Windows 8 approach, and enable a Start button on secondary taskbars, if they exist.

Overall, this is without a doubt one of the best Start menu apps right now, and given that it’s fully optimized for the upcoming May update, it’s certainly worth a try if you don’t like Microsoft’s Start menu anymore.

The application, however, isn’t offered free of charge, but with a $4.99 fee. Nevertheless, it comes with a 30-day trial, so you can install it and see what it’s up to at no cost.

Photo Gallery (7 Images)

Start10 on Windows 10 preview builds
Start10 on Windows 10 preview buildsStart10 on Windows 10 preview builds
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