How to change Start Menu all apps view in Windows 11

What is the “All Apps” View?

The “All apps” view in your Windows 11 Start menu shows every single program installed on your computer. Unlike the ‘Pinned’ section for your favorite apps or ‘Recommended’ for recent files, ‘All apps’ provides a complete list of all software available. This organized list helps you find any application you’ve installed, even if you don’t use it often.

• Pinned: Apps you choose to keep visible and easy to access.
• Recommended: Apps or files Windows thinks you might want to open soon.
• All apps: This section shows every single program installed on your computer.

The "All apps" section in Windows 11 displays every program installed on your computer. You can change how Windows 11 shows this program list in at least three different ways, affecting how you find and open your applications.

• Category View: This is the default view. Windows groups apps by type, like “Creative apps” or “Utilities.” If a category has at least three apps, it shows up. Otherwise, apps go into an “Other” category.
• Grid View: This shows your apps in a grid, sorted alphabetically. It’s good for quickly scanning your programs.
• List View: This is a simple, alphabetical list of all your apps.

Windows typically remembers your last chosen view. However, if you want to enforce a specific view or if the standard method isn’t working, the Registry Editor offers a solution.

Opening the Registry Editor

Step 1Open the Run Box

Access this box using one of these methods:

• Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard at the same time.
• Right-click the ⊞ Start button and choose Run from the menu.

A small window will appear, featuring a box labeled “Open:”.

Step 2Type the Command

In the “Open:” box, type the following command:

regedit

Step 3Press Enter or Click OK

After typing the command, press the Enter key or click OK. A permission prompt might appear; click Yes to proceed.

Finding the Right Setting in the Registry

Now that you’re in the Registry Editor, you need to find the specific setting for the ⊞ Start menu’s “All apps” view.

Step 4Go to the Correct Location

To change your ⊞ Start menu’s ‘All apps’ view, you need to make a change in a special Windows tool called the Registry Editor. Open this tool and go to the specific folder path: 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Start. Once youcopy’re at this location, look for a setting named AllAppsViewMode.

Go to this path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Start

After reaching this location, look for a setting named AllAppsViewMode in the right-hand section.

Changing Your “All Apps” View

You’re close to making the change! Now you’ll tell Windows which view you want.

Step 5Change the View Setting

The Registry Editor allows you to change the ⊞ Start Menu's all apps view. Locate the AllAppsViewMode setting. If AllAppsViewMode does not appear, create it by right-clicking an empty spot, selecting 'New' and then 'DWORD (32-bit) Value', and naming it AllAppsViewMode. Double-clicking AllAppsViewMode lets you enter a number: 0 for Category View, 1 for Grid View, or 2 for List View.

Double-click on AllAppsViewMode. A small window will open for “Value data:”. Enter the number that corresponds to your desired view:

• For Category View (Default): Enter 0.
• For Grid View: Enter 1.
• For List View: Enter 2.

Enter only the number (0, 1, or 2). The “Base” should typically be set to “Hexadecimal.” Click OK after entering your number.

Step 6Close Registry Editor and Restart Explorer

After changing the setting in the Registry Editor, close the tool. To see your new ‘All apps’ view, you need to restart Windows 📁 File Explorer. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open 📊 Task Manager, finding ‘📁 Windows Explorer’ in the list of processes, right-clicking it, and selecting ‘Restart’.

To apply your change, you’ll need to restart Windows 📁 File Explorer. This program manages 🖥️ your taskbar, desktop icons, and ⊞ Start menu, so restarting it makes the changes visible without rebooting your entire computer.

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard to open 📊 Task Manager.
• In 📊 Task Manager, find 📁 Windows Explorer under the “Processes” tab.
• 🖱️ Right-click on 📁 Windows Explorer.
• Select Restart from the menu.

🖥️ Your taskbar and desktop icons disappear for a moment and then return, indicating that the 📁 Windows Explorer process has restarted. This restart is a necessary step when you make certain changes to your ⚙️ Windows settings.

Step 7Check Your ⊞ Start Menu

Open your ⊞ Start menu and click the All apps button. Your applications should now appear in the view you selected (Category, Grid, or List).

Summary

You can change how the ‘All apps’ list appears in your Windows 11 ⊞ Start menu by editing the Windows Registry. This involves opening the Registry Editor, navigating to a specific folder, changing the AllAppsViewMode setting to your preferred view (Category, Grid, or List), and then restarting 📁 Windows Explorer. This method gives you direct control over your Start menu’s appearance.