Windows 11 ships with a new Start menu that now appears at the center of the screen and features a minimal design with traditional icons.

By default, the Windows 11 Start menu has a “Recommended” section that suggests apps and files, similar to the Timeline. However, if you are not interested in this feature, you can quickly stop the menu from showing recommendations using the Settings app.

This guide will teach how to stop showing suggested files and apps in the Recommended section of the Start menu.

To clear the items in the Recommended section of Start, use these steps:

  • Open Start on Windows 11.
  • Search for Settings and click the top result to open the app.
  • Click on Personalization.
  • Click the Start page on the right side.
  • Turn off the Show recently added apps toggle switch.
  • Turn off the Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, the next time you open the Start menu, the Recommended section will longer show suggestions of apps or files. However, on Windows 11, you cannot remove the “Recommended” section to use the space to show more pins.

Open Start on Windows 11.

Search for Settings and click the top result to open the app.

Click on Personalization.

Click the Start page on the right side.

Turn off the Show recently added apps toggle switch.

Turn off the Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer toggle switch.

If you are only looking to remove a specific item, you only need to right-click the item and select the Remove from list option.