How to move the Start menu on Windows 11 (preview)

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Do you want the Windows 11 Start menu on the left instead of the center position? Here's how to move it.

Windows 11 Start menu
Windows 11 Start menu (Image credit: Windows Central)

On Windows 11, you will find many new interface changes and features, including a new taskbar that aligns all the items, including the Start button and Start menu to the center of the screen. While this is a new approach from Microsoft to put you closer to the apps and files you use every day, it's not a change that everyone wants.

If you have installed Windows 11 on your computer, and you'd like the legacy alignment, the Taskbar settings page includes an option to change the behavior of the taskbar to the left like on Windows 10 or center.

In this Windows 11 guide, we will walk you through the steps to reposition the Start menu and apps to the left or center.

How to move the Start menu on Windows 11

To move the Start menu and app buttons to left or center, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Personalization.
  3. Click the Taskbar behaviors settings.
  4. Use the Taskbar alignment drop-down menu and select:
    • Left to align the Start menu and buttons to the left like on Windows 10.
    • Center to align the taskbar items to the center of the screen.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Once you complete the steps, the Start menu will be relocated to the position you selected in the settings.

Are you going to use the Start menu on the left or right? Let us know in the comments.

More Windows resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

Mauro Huculak
Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.
8 Comments
  • Or, simply right-click the taskbar.
  • That option was in Window 11 when it was first released to insiders.
  • I love it there right smack at the Center.
    For those who like it on the left, making that choice is now more simple for them, no registry hack
  • You didn't need a registry edit on the first insider release anyway.
  • I would like them to add other options like, left vertical, right vertical, top. etc. For some reason I would go through phases where I would move my task bar around the screen
  • Remember the uproar when XP came out and "changed" the W9x "standard"? Or when Vista came out, or when W7 came out, or when W8 came out, or when W8.1 came out, or when W10 came out? etc. etc. etc. "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." People hate change, until they don't. Deal with it.
    In a year nobody will remember these arguments, as they will have something new to complain (and write articles) about.
    Rinse, Repeat.
  • Weirdly, my Start button and taskbar icons are on the middle (which I like), but when I click the Start button the popup is on the left! Not sure if it's a bug as I definitely haven't changed the settings.
  • This is ridiculous. Look at the screen space and look for the number of icons on the menu.... Right now my start menu contains appx 50 apps. How many pages I will need to scroll???