Change Windows Terminal Startup Behavior in Windows 11

Windows Terminal is a built-in Microsoft app that brings tools like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux, a feature that lets you run Linux tools on Windows) into one single window with tabs. Changing the startup behavior in Windows 11 lets you pick exactly what opens when you launch the app, such as a specific PowerShell tab or your previous session.

You can update these startup settings inside the app’s Settings page or by editing the settings ⚙️.json file. This guide uses the Settings page, which is the safer route because you pick from a list and can’t break the file with a typo. The change saves time every time you open your PC command tools. It works the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro, and you don’t need to restart the 🔄 PC.

The setting has two choices:

• Open a tab with the default profile
• Open windows from a previous session

Configure startup behavior using the steps below.

What should be shown when Windows Terminal starts in 🪟 Windows 11

Windows Terminal startup behavior can be set to open a fresh tab using your default profile or to automatically restore all open tabs and windows from your previous session. You can change this setting from the app settings menu to control exactly what appears on your screen the moment you launch the program.

Here is what each choice does:

• Open a tab with the default profile: Terminal starts clean with one tab. That tab uses whichever profile is set as the default, which is usually Windows PowerShell. This is the standard behavior and a good fit if you like a blank start every time.
• Open windows from a previous session: Terminal reopens the windows, tabs and panes that were open when you last closed it. It restores the layout, not the old output or any programs that were running. A long task that was still running when you closed Terminal will not be running when it comes back.

Configure startup behavior using the steps below.

1. Press the Windows key.
2. Type Terminal.
3. Press Enter to launch the app.

If Terminal doesn't show up in search, install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store. Some earlier Windows 11 builds don't include it.

4. With the app open, click the down arrow button on the top bar, next to the plus button that opens a new tab.
5. From the menu that appears, select Settings. You can also press Ctrl + , (comma) from anywhere in the app.

The Settings page should open in the Terminal window, with a list of categories down the left side.

6. In the left-hand list, click Startup.
7. Find the When Terminal starts option. It is a drop-down list.
8. Open the drop-down and change it to one of the following:

• Open a tab with the default profile
• Open windows from a previous session

If you chose the first option, this is the profile that opens in that first tab, so set it here if you want PowerShell, Command Prompt or a WSL distribution to come up first.

Select your preferred option and save your changes.

9. Click Save at the bottom of the window.

The new setting applies the next time Terminal starts. To test it, open a couple of tabs, close Terminal completely, then launch it again. If you picked the previous-session option, your tabs should come back. If the Save button is greyed out, you haven't changed anything yet. To undo a change, return to Settings › Startup, pick the other option and click Save again.

Conclusion:

• Windows Terminal in Windows 11 offers advanced features for command-line interfaces, including multiple tabs, panes, Unicode and UTF-8 character support, and customizability.
• Users can select the default behavior when opening the Windows Terminal: opening a tab with the default profile or restoring windows from a previous session.
• To change the start behavior, users can access the Settings pane in Windows Terminal, navigate to the Startup section, and choose their preferred option.
• After selecting, users should save the changes to apply the new start behavior in Windows Terminal.

Tailor how Windows Terminal boots up to keep your workflow smooth without forcing you to manually restore old sessions every time.