How to Move the Start Button in Windows 11
Honestly, messing around with Windows 11 settings can be a bit frustrating at times. One thing that caught me out was the new taskbar setup — the Start button and icons are now centred by default, which felt a bit odd since I’m used to having everything on the left. It seems Microsoft has gone for a more modern look, but if you prefer the traditional layout, don’t worry — you can change it. The good news is, it’s not buried deep — just tucked away in the Settings menu. That said, finding the right options can sometimes be tricky and might vary slightly depending on your Windows build or updates.
Opening the Taskbar Settings
The quickest way I found was to right-click on the taskbar itself — that horizontal strip along the bottom. Sometimes, this just brings up a quick menu, but if you choose the right option, it will open the full Settings window. If not, try left-clicking once, then right-clicking during that or just hovering over the taskbar to see if “Taskbar settings” appears directly. That’s usually the fastest way for me.
Once you see it, click on “Taskbar settings”. If it’s not immediately obvious, you can also press Windows + I to open Settings, then go to Personalisation > Taskbar. Either way, you’re aiming to get to the menu where you can customise the taskbar layout.
Finding the Alignment Options
Here’s where things get a bit messy. The Settings page for Windows 11’s taskbar is layered, and Microsoft tends to hide some options behind submenus. So don’t be surprised if you don’t see the option right away. Look for a section called “Taskbar behaviours”. If it’s not visible immediately, scroll down or click to expand sections — it’s often tucked away down the page. Once you find it, select “Taskbar behaviours”. Inside that, you should see an option called “Taskbar alignment”. That’s what you need to change to move your Start button and icons from centred to left-aligned.
Heads up — in some builds, the menus can be a bit sluggish, or changes might not appear immediately. It took me a couple of tries to find the toggle because the menu can lag and the options aren’t always in plain sight. Usually, the setting is found at Settings > Personalisation > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviours.
Switching the Alignment: From Centre to Left
When you get to “Taskbar alignment”, click the dropdown menu, and you’ll see options like “ centred” and “Left”. It defaults to Centred, which is the new modern look, but if you prefer the traditional left side, just select Left. The change should take effect immediately — no need to restart or log off. Once you choose Left, your icons will slide over to the left side.
Be aware — in some versions of Windows 11 or after certain updates, the setting might reset itself back to centred. Sometimes updates revert your layout, so you might need to toggle it again later. Rebooting or reapplying the setting can resolve this if it acts up. I’ve experienced this myself after minor updates, so it’s worth keeping in mind.
Extra Tips and Things to Watch Out For
If changing the setting doesn’t stick, double-check that you’re still in “Taskbar behaviours” and that you’ve selected “Left”. Sometimes toggling the setting off and on again can help. If it remains stubborn, a quick PowerShell command or registry tweak might do the trick — but in most cases, just redoing the menu navigation works fine.
If you want even more customisation for your taskbar, tools like StartAllBack or TaskbarX are available. Just be cautious — these are third-party apps that modify Windows more deeply. They can sometimes cause glitches after updates, so only use them if you’re comfortable with that risk.
One more thing: Windows updates can reset your preferences, including taskbar alignment. So if your icons jump back to the centre after an update, just follow the steps again: Settings > Personalisation > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviours, and select “Left”.
Final Thoughts (because I’d forget otherwise)
It might seem a bit fiddly at first, but once you know where everything is, it’s straightforward. Right-click the taskbar, go to Taskbar settings, hop into “Taskbar behaviours”, and change “Taskbar alignment” from Centred to Left. That’s it. It’s a small tweak, but it makes your Windows feel more familiar if you’re used to the old layout. Just bear in mind that updates or quirks can sometimes reset it — if that happens, just redo the process.
Hope this quick guide helps — it took me ages to figure out where that toggle was hidden! If your taskbar keeps resetting or acting up, just follow these steps again. Good luck, and I hope this saves someone else a fair bit of frustration!