Windows 11’s pretty straightforward when it comes to personalising your desktop, especially pinning your favourite apps on the start menu or home screen. But of course, because Windows loves to keep us on our toes, not everything always works perfectly. If you’ve tried the usual right-click and “Pin to Start” trick but the app still isn’t showing up, here’s a few tips that might help.
How to Pin Apps to Your Home Screen in Windows 11
Basically, pinning should be dead easy — find the app, right-click, then select Pin to Start. It should appear there ready for a quick click. But if it’s not, or if you’d prefer it be more obvious on your desktop instead of just the start menu, give these a burl.
Method 1: Using the Start Menu > Pinning
This is your standard route. Open Start (click the Windows icon or press Win), search for the app, right-click, then choose Pin to Start. If it doesn’t pop up immediately, try restarting the explorer process. Sometimes Windows gets a bit squirrelly and needs a nudge to refresh icons.
Task Manager > Processes > Windows Explorer > RestartThis usually gets the start menu to show the new pin. Also, have a look if the app’s been pinned somewhere else on the start menu — you can always drag things around to tidy it up.
Method 2: Make a Desktop Shortcut & Pin It
It’s a bit of a workaround, but sometimes pinning through the start menu doesn’t do the trick. So here’s what you do: find the app in Start > All Apps, right-click and choose More > Open file location. You’ll usually land in a folder with the app shortcut (sometimes a .exe). Right-click that and select Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
Once it’s on your desktop, right-click that shortcut and pick Pin to Start or Pin to Taskbar. That way, you’ve got quick access on the desktop or taskbar, which can sometimes be more reliable if the pin from the start menu plays up.
Method 3: Pin to the Taskbar Instead
If the start menu’s acting up and you just want quick access, right-click the app’s icon (from the start menu or desktop shortcut) and pick Pin to Taskbar. Sure, it’s not the home screen, but it’s a handy spot to jump straight in. On some rigs, pinning to the taskbar is more reliable than the start menu — especially with a few of Windows’ inbuilt apps.
Method 4: Check App Compatibility & Settings
Sometimes, certain apps just won’t pin if they’re from dodgy sources or are legacy programs. Head to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps and see if there are any restrictions. If it’s an older app, try running it in compatibility mode or as an admin — right-click > Properties > Compatibility.
On some setups, Windows security policies or group policies might block pinning. If you’re on a work or school device, your IT admin might’ve put some restrictions in place. You can ask them or check out the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) if you’ve got access.
Method 5: Reset the Start Menu Cache (A Bit Advanced)
If nothing else is doing the trick, the start menu cache might be buggered. You can try fixing that from PowerShell. Open PowerShell as Admin (Win + X > Windows PowerShell (Admin)) and run:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}This’ll re-register the start menu apps and might fix some dodgy pinning issues. It’ll run for a minute or two, then you’ll want to restart your PC.
Fair warning — on some setups, it doesn’t fix things instantly, but after a reboot, the start menu might behave much better.
Tips for Pinning Apps to Your Home Screen in Windows 11
- Right-click! Sometimes that refreshes options Windows hides or doesn’t show properly.
- Try dragging apps directly from the start menu onto the desktop — weird, but it worked on one of my PCs.
- If an app just refuses to pin, creating a shortcut manually and pinning that often does the trick.
- Only reset the start menu cache if you’re comfy with some command-line magic.
FAQs
Can I pin any app to my home screen in Windows 11?
Most, yeah. But some system apps or deep-integrated Windows components might refuse due to restrictions or policies.
How do I unpin an app from the home screen?
Just right-click on the app on your start menu or desktop and choose Unpin from Start or Unpin from taskbar.
Can I use keyboard shortcuts to pin stuff?
Not directly. But you can type the app’s name with Win, hit Enter to open it, then right-click to pin from there. Still, the mouse is usually easier.
What if an app shows up but won’t pin?
Try running it as admin, or reinstalling — sometimes a broken shortcut or a dodgy app stops it from pinning. Also, make sure your Windows is up to date — updates often fix these little bugs.
Summary
- Use Start > Search & right-click > Pin to Start
- Create desktop shortcuts and pin those if needed
- Try pinning to taskbar if start menu’s giving you grief
- Restart Windows Explorer or reset cache if icons won’t update
- Check app permissions or compatibility if pinning still bugs out
Hopefully, this helps someone avoid pulling their hair out. Windows 11’s pinning quirks are a bit of a pain sometimes, but with a couple of tweaks, they usually behave themselves.