App folders are coming to the Start menu

Apr 5, 2022 21:58 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is already testing Start menu folders in the Windows Insider program, but the company used its hybrid work event to show the entire world this feature is on its way to users.

With app folders in the Start menu, users can organize their apps in a more effective manner, especially if they rely on the Start menu for everything on their devices.

In many ways, app folders should have been there in Windows 11 from the very beginning. After all, they were also available on Windows 10 where they allowed users to group live tiles under the same roof.

However, Microsoft is only now working on bringing app folders in the Start menu to users out there, and insider running preview builds are already allowed to try out this feature.

Wangui McKelvey, General Manager, Microsoft 365, announced app folders in the Start menu today, but no further information has been offered as to when it could land on production devices as well.

“I love how easy the centered Start menu design in Windows 11 is, and I’m excited to share how we’re building on that with new app folders right inside the Start menu. Now, I can enjoy the simplicity of organizing and easily finding apps on my Windows 11 desktop just as I’ve been able to do on my mobile device and tablet,” McKelvey explained.

Possible launch later this year

If anything, Microsoft is now working on completing the rollout of Windows 11 to eligible devices, after which the company is expected to focus all efforts on the release of another major feature update for the operating system.

This is expected to happen in the second half of the year, when major new features are finally supposed to make their way to production devices. They could include not only app folders in the Start menu, but also tabs in File Explorer and other refinements.