In early April, information about the updated Start menu in Windows 11 appeared, which was later confirmed by Microsoft itself. While the new menu is gradually becoming available on devices with Windows 11 and Snapdragon X processors, including the recently announced Surface tablet and laptop, users can see other options that were also in development.
The discarded Start menu options for Windows 11 are significantly different from the current look of the operating system. Some of them provided shortcuts for recent actions, such as watching a video on YouTube, recent chats in Teams, or presentations in PowerPoint.
Additionally, one of the menu options included the ability to place widgets for apps like Spotify. A slightly different version of the menu would have a blurred background image, and in addition to recommendations, users could have a dedicated section with various apps for quick access.
Two other Start menu designs would automatically sort apps into categories, such as productivity, creativity, or entertainment. One would have a For You tab that would remind you of upcoming meetings and other important events. Another would have the menu display recently closed files.
Microsoft also demonstrated a version of a panel focused entirely on recent projects, which would display all the necessary productivity applications and provide quick access to the files you need.
Microsoft has previously introduced several other updates for Windows 11 focused on AI features, including Click to Do, AI Write for Notepad, and more.