Windows 10 new Start Menu gets glowing reception — but there's a major flaw

By Phillip Tracy
published

The new Windows 10 Start Menu looks clean and modern, but one change is giving people pause.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft is redesigning the iconic Windows 10 Start Menu and it wants your opinion before making any changes. The company posted a short clip of the UI update on Twitter and asked users what they thought of the new look. 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many Twitter users appreciate the continuity between the app tray and the tile icons, which are stripped of their colorful paint to blend in with the Windows 10 background theme (dark or light). A handful of people asked Microsoft to leave everything as is, and launch the new interface as soon as possible. 

But not everyone was thrilled with the changes Microsoft has planned. A common complaint stems from the removal of text labels. One way Microsoft is modernizing the Start Menu is by removing the names of apps at the bottom of each icon. Some argue that without that text, it can be difficult to identify apps. 

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"WHY are you removing text labels!?! PLEASE tell me this is OPTIONAL and not DEFAULT!?!?. When doing tech support, do you know how frustrating it is telling a non-tech to select a non-text icon???" one Twitter user wrote. 

"It is a bad idea to remove labels. Not too many people, including me, are able to read hieroglyphs = app icons. This would render my 80+ mom completely helpless," another noted. 

It's a fair point, and one I hope Microsoft takes into account. If you've installed multiple apps that serve a similar function, it could be difficult to discern the difference between their icons. Programs with abstract labels can be equally confusing. There is an easy solution: give users the option to turn app text on or off. 

If Microsoft brings back the text feature, then all that's left to do is roll out the update and hope nothing breaks along the way. We also wouldn't mind if the File Explorer got its long-overdue update.  

Phillip Tracy
Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.