iStockphoto/Getty Images

Recommends

The best Windows laptops

Here are 's top picks for a variety of use cases.

Read now

Windows 10 lets you create and manage folders to house the apps in your Start menu. 

That's a helpful way to organize your apps and keep the menu from getting too cluttered. The initial version of Windows 11 lacked that capability.  

But now Microsoft has revived that feature for its latest flavor of Windows. 

With the Windows 11 22H2 update, you can create, move, and manage folders in the Start menu to better group specific apps.

Also: The best deals under$20 on Amazon right now

How to organize your Windows 11 Start menu with folders 

 Here's how this works.

1. Update your Windows 11 PC to the 22H2 version

First, you'll need to update your Windows 11 PC to the 22H2 version if you haven't already done so. Go to Settings > Windows Update and then click the button for Check for updates. If the 22H2 update isn't yet available for your PC and you still want to install it, head to Microsoft's Download Windows 11 website. Here you can snag the update through the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, through the Windows 11 Installation Media, or through an ISO file.

2. Click Start

Click theStartbutton to access the menu. If any frequently used apps are not on the Start menu, you may first want to pin them there so you can move them into folders. Click theAll Appsbutton at the top. Right-click on any app you want to pin, and click the command for Pin to Start.

Pin apps to the Start menu.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

3. Look for apps to put into a folder

Go back to the Start menu and look for apps that you'd want to put into a folder. Check for related apps, such as Microsoft Office programs, web browsers, photo and video editors, or utilities. Drag and drop one icon on top of another to create a folder.

Drop one icon onto another to create a folder.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

Also: Windows 11 22H2: How to get Microsoft's latest OS update and what's coming next

4. Edit the name of the folder

The two apps below will be placed in a folder with the generic name of Folder. Click the folder to open it. Click in the Edit name field, and type a new name for the folder. Then click anywhere outside the folder to close it and confirm the new name.

Rename a folder.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

5. Continue adding apps to the folder

To add more apps to the folder, drag and drop other related icons on top of the folder. Continue in this way to add more apps to the folder.

Add more apps.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

6. Select "Move to front" as you continue to look for other apps

Next, look for other apps that you want to place in a folder. But here's a challenge. What if the apps are so far apart on the Start menu that dragging and dropping one on the other is too difficult? No problem, not when you can put them both on the same row. Right-click one of the apps and select Move to front. That moves the icon to the first spot in the top row.

Move icons to the top row.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

7. Move apps on top of each other to create new folder

Do the same with any other apps you want to move into the same folder so that they're all next to each other on the top row. When you're done, move the apps on top of each other to create the new folder, and then change its name.

Move all apps for a folder to the top row.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

Also: Windows 11 22H2: These are the big new security features 

8. Open a folder to view its icons

Continue this process until you've created the folders you want. Open a folder to view its icons. You can drag and drop the icons to sort them in the order you wish. Single-click an app to open it.

Open a folder.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

9. Drag and drop folders around the Start menu

After you're finished, drag and drop the folders around the Start menu to position them in the spots you want. You can right-click a folder and select Move to front to move it to the top row.

Move folders around the Start menu.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

10. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder and drag the icon outside

Finally, if you decide you want to remove an app from a folder and place it by itself in the Start menu, just open the folder and drag the icon outside. If you remove all of the apps except one, the folder itself disappears.

Remove an app from a folder.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/

More how-tos

How to set up and use Meta's Threads as a Windows 11 desktop app3 essential Windows tools for troubleshooting (and how to use them)How to use iOS 17's 'Live Voicemail' transcriptions, and which iPhones support itBing Chat now has the highly-requested dark mode. Here's how to turn it on

• How to set up and use Meta's Threads as a Windows 11 desktop app
• 3 essential Windows tools for troubleshooting (and how to use them)
• How to use iOS 17's 'Live Voicemail' transcriptions, and which iPhones support it
• Bing Chat now has the highly-requested dark mode. Here's how to turn it on