How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10

While in Desktop mode, Windows 10 allows you to use the Start menu in full screen mode (like the Start menu in Tablet mode) or in the traditional way, only partially covering the screen. Here's how to change the way the Start menu works.

Depending on how you've configured your Start menu, a full-screen Start menu looks like this. As expected, it covers the entire screen (not the taskbar) and you can switch between 'pinned tiles' and 'all apps' views using the buttons in the upper left corner.

It's a lot like the Windows 8 Start screen - a large full-screen canvas where you can place all of your shortcut tiles.

How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 1 How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 1

To configure whether you see a full-screen Start menu in Desktop mode, you'll need to make a change in Windows Settings.

First, open Settings by clicking on the Start menu and selecting the gear icon on the left. (You can also press Win + I ).

How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 2 How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 2

When Settings opens, click Personalization on the main screen.

How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 3 How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 3

Under Personalization , select Start from the sidebar to open 'Start' settings.

How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 4 How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 4

In the Start menu settings, look for the toggle button labeled 'Use Start Full Screen' . If you want to use the full-screen Start menu in Desktop mode, set this switch to 'On'. If you don't want Start to cover your entire screen when you open it in Desktop mode, set this switch to 'Off'.

How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 5 How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 5

Note that this setting does not affect the full-screen Start menu in Tablet mode. When the PC is in Tablet mode, it will always show a full-screen Start menu.

To quickly turn off Tablet mode, open 'Action Center' by clicking or tapping the notification button in the far corner of the taskbar. When the Action Center menu appears, select the Tablet Mode button .

You can also completely disable the Tablet mode disabling in Settings> System> Tablet .

How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 6 How to enable / disable the Start menu full screen in Windows 10 Picture 6

You don't have to use the full-screen Start menu to make room for shortcuts. If you want to use the larger Start menu without letting it take up the full screen, you can easily resize the Start menu by clicking and dragging the sides of the menu.