A new update for Windows 11's best Start menu alternative lets you pin your favorite websites

Start11 will let you pin websites on the Start menu
(Image credit: Stardock)

What you need to know

  • Stardock recently shipped a new update to its Start11 V2 app, bumping it to version 2.05.
  • The update ships with bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements.
  • It also includes a new enhancement that will let users pin websites on the Start menu.

Stardock just shipped a new update to its Start11 v2 app, bumping it to version 2.05. The build ships with the usual bug fixes coupled with quality-of-life improvements. But perhaps the most notable addition to this new update is the capability to pin websites to the Start menu.

This means you can pin some of your most visited or favorite websites on your Windows 11 or 10 Start menu alongside your pinned apps and folders. Stardock shared their experience with the new capability in Start11:

"The way we use this feature at Stardock, is that we create web-links to many of our key dashboards on Jira and PowerBI. It's a small enhancement but one that continues to make Start11 v2 the most advanced Start menu experience for Windows 10 and 11."

Start11 | $6.99 at Stardock

Start11 | $6.99 at Stardock

Start11 is a piece of customization software that lets you pick how the Start menu looks on Windows 11 or Windows 10. Its most recent update adds the capability to pin websites on your Start menu.

The Start menu seems like a flop for most users

(Image credit: Future)

Users are less than impressed with the stock Start menu on Windows 11 for many reasons. Even Microsoft's Windows lead, Parakhin Mikhail, thinks the Start menu is annoying in some aspects, especially when users are forced to click on the "All apps" options to scroll through the entire list of apps installed on the device via the Start menu. However, the Microsoft executive pointed out that he is pushing his team to work on a fix for this.

One of our readers, naddy69, also shared the following sentiments on the same post covering Parakhin pushing his Windows team to fix the Start menu's most annoying issue:

"I swear I don't understand the purpose of the start menu. Other than right-clicking it to shutdown/hibernate, I have not used it in 25 years. To me, it is a colossal waste of time to launch apps via Start."

RELATED: Windows Central Start11 review

Another reader, Kaymd, also commented on the same post and pointed out that the Start menu was much better on Windows 10:

"There's actually also the very annoying case of newly installed apps.
In Windows 10, any newly installed app (Win32 or UWP) automatically shows up at the top of the all apps list. Simple, fast, and elegant solution. Immediately visible and accessible on clicking the Start button. You don't even need to remember the exact name of the app you just installed because it's featured right at the top of the all apps list in Start staring at you."

"Now in Win 11, it's amazingly been removed. If your 'Recommended' section is also disabled, you are out of luck because the all apps list does not feature this at the top of the list. You have to remember the exact name of the newly installed app to find it and 'Pin to Start' for quick access."

"Windows 10 Start is unquestionably superior to Win 11. It's not even close. I deliberately keep a few machines permanently on Win 10 to remind me of when Start was great."

If you have the Start11 v2 app on your Windows PC, the update should roll out to you automatically. Alternatively, you can trigger it manually by clicking on your taskbar and selecting Configure Start11. Next, click About and select Check Now to search for the latest updates. 

Start11 | $6.99 at Stardock

Start11 | $6.99 at Stardock

Start11 is a piece of customization software that lets you pick how the Start menu looks on Windows 11 or Windows 10. Its most recent update adds the capability to pin websites on your Start menu.

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Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.