Forum Discussion
"Most Used" apps not in start menu underneath the pinned apps
I have just noticed a minor problem that has probably been hanging around on my PC for some weeks now, and maybe since I did a completely
clean installation of Windows 11 a month or so ago.
Despite having Personalisation>Start>Show the Most Used Apps set to ON they do not appear under the pinned apps list. I can only see them if I perform another interaction and click on the "All" button at the top RHS of the menu , in which case the entire start menu is replaced with a scrollable list of all apps and the topmost six of them are the most used ones, appearing under the heading Most Used.
I have also used the Group Policy Editor to switch the corresponding options to supposedly enable the Most Used feature, but it makes no difference.
Now, I well appreciate that this is a minor problem, and just amounts to a matter of convenience, but I am pretty sure they used to appear directly under the pinned list.
Has anyone any comments?
It sounds like a minor quirk with how Windows 11 handles "Most Used" apps after a clean installation. Here are a few things to check or try:
- Restart Explorer: Open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, right-click, and restart it. This often refreshes UI elements like the Start menu.
- Rebuild Search Index: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows > Advanced Indexing Options and rebuild the index. This might help update the app usage data.
- Reset Start Menu Settings: Toggle the "Show the Most Used Apps" option off, restart your PC, then turn it back on.
If none of these work, it could be a minor glitch in the current Windows 11 build. A future update might fix it. You’re not alone—others have noticed similar quirks!
2 Replies
It sounds like a minor quirk with how Windows 11 handles "Most Used" apps after a clean installation. Here are a few things to check or try:
- Restart Explorer: Open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, right-click, and restart it. This often refreshes UI elements like the Start menu.
- Rebuild Search Index: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows > Advanced Indexing Options and rebuild the index. This might help update the app usage data.
- Reset Start Menu Settings: Toggle the "Show the Most Used Apps" option off, restart your PC, then turn it back on.
If none of these work, it could be a minor glitch in the current Windows 11 build. A future update might fix it. You’re not alone—others have noticed similar quirks!
Double check to make sure you also have Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches below turned on. It's required for Most Used apps.
