How to Clear Recommended Section in Windows 11 Start Menu

What Is the Recommended Section in Windows 11 Start Menu? : The Recommended section in Windows 11 shows your most recently accessed files and apps. While it aims to improve productivity, many users find it unnecessary or intrusive. Fortunately, Windows 11 allows you to disable or clear this section completely with built-in settings

Open Windows Settings and Go to Personalization: To begin clearing recommendations, open the Settings app from your Start Menu. Navigate to the Personalization tab. This section allows you to customize the look and behavior of your Start Menu, including options related to recently opened items and suggestions

Disable Recent Items and Recently Added Apps: Inside the Start settings under Personalization, you’ll find toggles for showing recently added apps and recently opened items. Switch these options off to prevent new entries from appearing in the Recommended section. This stops the list from updating with your activity

Manually Clear Current Recommendations: Disabling the settings doesn’t remove what’s already listed. To do that, go to your Recent Items folder using File Explorer. Delete the files shown there to instantly clear existing Recommended content. This step ensures your Start Menu reflects a clean slate

Manage Activity History in Privacy Settings: You can go a step further by adjusting your privacy settings. Navigate to the Privacy & Security section in the Settings app. From here, you can clear your activity history and turn off tracking that influences recommendations shown in the Start Menu

Remove Individual Items One by One: If you want to keep some entries but remove specific ones, right-click on any item in the Recommended section and select the option to remove it. This allows for more controlled customization without disabling the entire feature

Final Word – A Cleaner, More Private Start Menu: Customizing or clearing the Recommended section in Windows 11 helps you maintain privacy and declutter your workspace. Whether you remove everything or just fine-tune what appears, the Start Menu becomes more efficient and personal, aligned with how you use your PC

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