Windows 11: Context Menu Shrinks From 20 to 8 Lines – and Can Be Personalized

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Windows 11: Context Menu Shrinks From 20 to 8 Lines – and Can Be Personalized.

On Wednesday, October 28, Microsoft will begin rebuilding the right-click menu in Windows 11. According to a Frandroid report, the new design will be significantly more compact: Instead of 20 lines, the menu will contain only 8 lines. This everyday menu appears when you right-click files, programs, or options in Windows 11.

The second new feature is personalization. You will be able to decide for yourself which components of the context menu are displayed. Microsoft is thereby responding to a common criticism: In the current version, not all commands are necessarily accessible at a glance. Frandroid also describes the change as easier and faster to use, meaning the benefits should not be limited to the reduced space requirements.

What Specifically Changes in the Right-Click Menu?

The most noticeable change is the shorter menu display. According to the source, the number of displayed lines will drop from 20 to 8. The context menu will therefore take up less space and present the available commands more compactly. In the future, you will be able to choose which visible entries to include yourself.

Important for everyday use: According to Frandroid, this is not a new version of Windows, but a change delivered through a separate update. You can initially install the update as an optional update. Microsoft plans to make the new menu feature available on all PCs by November 10.

When Will the Personalized Menu Be Available?

According to Frandroid, the rollout will begin on Wednesday, October 28. The menu change is part of the optional KB5127936 update. Because Microsoft wants to establish it on all systems, it will initially not necessarily be included with every immediately available update.

For November 10, the source gives a clear target date: By then, the new context menu is expected to be installed on all Windows 11 PCs. Anyone who wants to use the feature earlier can install the appropriate update once it has been released. Those who wait for the final rollout will receive it according to this schedule without having to install the optional update in advance.

Why Is This More Than a Cosmetic Change?

The right-click menu is one of the controls you open particularly frequently in Windows 11. A more compact display and the ability to choose for yourself which entries appear therefore change how you interact with the operating system on a daily basis. Frandroid explicitly cites faster operation as an advantage of the new menu.

The change is especially interesting if the current context menu seems too long or too cluttered to you. You can then decide which commands you actually want to see instead of being presented with the same long layout every time. The report at hand does not describe exactly how Microsoft will design the selection; the more compact display and the ability to personalize it are certain.

In the end, it is a surprisingly small change with a noticeable effect: 8 lines instead of 20, more choice for you, and a launch date for its introduction. Frandroid reports that the update will be available from October 28 and that Microsoft wants to install the new menu on all PCs by November 10.