Enable or Disable Recently Added Apps in Windows 11
Recently added apps are programs that Windows 11 lists in the Recommended section of the Start menu soon after you install them. The list lets you find and launch a new program without searching through your full app list.
If you prefer a cleaner Start menu, you can turn this feature on or off in the Settings app. The change takes effect straight away, and you don’t need to restart or sign out.
To turn recently added apps on or off in Windows 11, open Settings, select Personalization, then select Start. Move the Show recently added apps switch to On or Off. The change takes effect straight away, with no restart needed. To remove just one app from Recommended, right-click it and select Remove from list.
How to turn on or off recently added apps in the Start menu, recommended section, or jump lists in 🪟 Windows 11
The Windows 11 setting for recently added apps controls whether new programs show up in the Start menu’s Recommended section. It can also affect other places that list recent items, such as jump lists. You have two ways to manage it: the main Settings app, which switches the feature off for every app, or a right-click on a single item, which removes just that one.
The Settings app gives you a single toggle for all of it. The steps below show how to use it.
Windows 11 keeps most of its configuration screens in one place. System settings, personalization options and user accounts are all in the System Settings app.
- Press the Windows key + I shortcut to open Settings directly. You can also click Start > Settings,, as shown in the image below.
The Settings window should open on its home page.
If neither method works for you, there is another way in.
- Click the search box on the taskbar.
- Type Settings.
- Select Settings in the results to open the app.
Your Settings window should look similar to the image below. The categories are listed down the left side.
- Click Personalization on the left side.
The right pane now shows the personalization options, such as Background, Colors, Themes and Start.
- On the right side, select the Start tile.
The Start page opens. It holds the Start menu options, including Layout and the toggles for what the menu displays.
You are now on Settings Personalization Start. Here you switch the feature on or off.
- Find Show recently added apps.
- Move the switch to On to show recently added apps in the Start menu.
- To hide them, move the switch back to Off.
- Open the Start menu to check the result. With the switch off, the recently added entries are gone from Recommended.
To undo the change, return to the same page and flip the switch the other way.
This is common on work or school PCs. Only an administrator can change it. On a personal PC, a leftover policy setting is the usual cause. Also note that with the Start layout set to show more pins, the Recommended section is smaller, so fewer recent items fit in it.
Controlling this setting keeps your Start menu organized.
- Turning “Show recently added apps” on or off lets you shape the Start menu to your own preferences.
- The Start page under Settings Personalization is the simplest place to switch this feature on or off.
- To remove a single entry without changing the setting, right-click it in Recommended and select Remove from list.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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