How to Organize Your Start Screen in windows 8 or 8.1

How to Organize Your Start Screen


Works with: Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

In Windows 8, your Start screen can easily get cluttered as each app you install sets up its own tiles. In Windows 8.1, your Start screen stays cleaner and leaner, since installed apps appear in the Apps screen, and you have to add them manually to the Start screen. Either way, a less messy Start screen eases the burden of finding the apps you need. To organize your Start screen, you can move tiles and place them into custom groups. Here’s how.

In Windows 8, simply move a tile by dragging and dropping it. Dragging it to an existing group of tiles makes it part of that group. Dragging it away from an existing group of tiles creates a border, indicating that the tile can be made part of a new and separate group. To name your tile groups, click on the semantic zoom bar in the lower right corner. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of your groups. Right-click on the group you wish to name. From the apps bar, click on the icon to "Name group." Type a name in the blank field that shows up and click Name. Your new group name appears. Click anywhere on the Start screen to return to the normal view.

In Windows 8.1, the whole process is much smoother. Right-click on the tile you wish to move, and your Start screen transforms into Customize mode. Then, just drag and drop the tile to its new home. When done, click anywhere on the Start screen to exit Customize mode. To name your tile groups, right-click on any tile in a group. The Name field automatically appears at the top of the group. Type the new name and press Enter. When done, click anywhere on the Start screen to exit Customize mode.