Applies to Windows 8, Windows RT

Adding apps, websites, and more to Start

You can easily access what you use most by pinning your favorite apps, websites, and more to the Start screen. For more info about Start, see Rearranging tiles on Start.

Here are the quickest ways to get to Start:

  • With touch, swipe the right edge of your screen, and then tap Start.

  • With a mouse, move the pointer into the lower-left corner. When Start appears, click in the corner.

  • With a keyboard, press the Windows logo key Windows logo key.
Watch a video about adding apps, websites, and folders to Start. (To view captions in your language, tap or click the Closed captioning button Closed Captioning button.)
To pin this to Start Do this

Apps from the Windows Store

They're automatically pinned to Start when you install them.

Note

Note

  • To unpin an app from Start, follow these steps:

    1. On the Start screen, swipe down on or right-click the app you want to unpin to select it.

    2. Tap or click Unpin from Start. The app will still be installed on your PC, but it won't have a tile on the Start screen anymore.

All other apps

  1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
    (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.)

  2. Enter the app name, or scroll until you find it.

  3. Swipe down on or right-click the app to select it.

  4. Tap or click Pin to Start.

Note

Note

  • To unpin an app from Start, follow these steps:

    1. On the Start screen, swipe down on or right-click the app you want to unpin to select it.

    2. Tap or click Unpin from Start. The app will still be installed on your PC, but it won't have a tile on the Start screen anymore.

Things you use frequently, like contacts

  1. Open the app you want to use, such as the People app.

  2. Select the item you want to pin to Start.

  3. Tap or click Pin to Start.

  4. Enter a name or short description, and then tap or click Pin to Start. The tile is added at the far side of Start.

Note

Note

  • Some apps might have different steps or might not support pinning items to Start. For more info, check Help for the app.

Websites you visit frequently

  1. Open a browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

  2. In Internet Explorer, go to the website you want to pin and swipe down from the top or right-click to open the Address bar.

  3. On the Address bar, tap or click Pin site Pin site, and then tap or click Pin to Start.

  4. Enter a name or short description, and then tap or click Pin to Start. The tile is added at the far side of Start.

Note

Note

  • Some browsers might have different steps or might not support pinning items to Start. For more info, check Help for the browser.

Folders you use frequently, like Documents or Pictures

  • Open File Explorer by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering File Explorer in the search box, tapping or clicking Apps, and then tapping or clicking File Explorer.

  • Browse to the folder you want to pin, press and hold or right–click it, then tap or click Pin to Start.

To learn more about how to rearrange tiles, see Rearranging tiles on Start.