The recommendations in the Windows 11 Start menu are improving – but I’m still not impressed, Microsoft
- The Recommended panel in the Start menu has been improved during testing
- Windows 11 testers now get more relevant website suggestions
- Microsoft has made it clear that it has no plans to remove this panel from the menu
Windows 11 is getting changes to improve the recommendations Microsoft makes in the Start menu, and the software giant has confirmed that these suggestions will remain part of the operating system going forward.
Those with Windows 11 will no doubt be familiar with the ‘Recommended’ panel in the Start menu. This is where apps or files you’ve recently used (or might need) and websites you might want to visit are highlighted (though some efforts in the past were essentially thinly veiled advertisements).
The change comes with preview build 22635.4655 in the Beta channel, where Windows 11 testers are treated to better filtering for the recommended websites in the Start menu.
In other words, the claim is that the recommendations will be more relevant, and this move was made based on feedback from Windows 11 testers.
In the blog post for this preview, Microsoft explains that the goal is to “display the highest quality sites based on your own browsing history.”
Elsewhere in build 22635, Microsoft Edge Game Assist has been enabled so beta channel testers can get their hands on it.
This is a browser feature that’s essentially a mini version of Edge running in the Game Bar overlay, allowing you to look at websites to read tips and guides while you’re actually in the game. Therefore, you avoid the need to Alt-Tab to the desktop to get help, and the risk of dying at the hands of an enemy while doing so.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Game Assist feature (you can see it in action in the image below), I’ve written about it extensively elsewhere.
Analysis: Microsoft’s suggestions go nowhere
Windows Latest tested the new twist on the Start menu recommendations and noted that the files and sites Windows 11 turned up are now indeed more relevant, as promised.
That’s a useful step forward, but for those who don’t like these kinds of suggestions embedded in an operating system’s interface (myself included) it will undoubtedly not be enough to convince them that this is a valuable use of screen real estate.
If you had any hope that Microsoft would even think twice about including the Recommended panel, you can forget that idea. Windows Latest asked specifically about that score and says, “Microsoft also told me it has no plans to remove the recommendation feature as it continues to work on improving quality to make it easier for you to find items that matter to you.”
While I can’t say I’m surprised by that stance, it would be nice to be able to choose what content populates Windows 11’s Start menu, allowing each user to customize it to their liking – at least to some extent. And people like me could dump any sign of Microsoft’s attempts to leverage products or sites (ideally across the operating system, ideally).