Microsoft has previewed a refinement of the Windows 10 Start menu.

Essentially, the new menu moves to a more icon-centric view using Microsoft's new Fluent Design language.

It looks less of a hotchpotch by removing the Live Tiles that have been around since Windows 8 - the ones that rotate, giving you different information. They were actually a decent idea when introduced on Windows Phone because at-a-glance information is great on a phone. They're less great hidden away in a Start Menu. 

Not many apps support the Live Tile format, which almost certainly factored into the decision, too. However, it appears that if you currently use Live Tiles, you can continue to do so according to Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc. And apps pinned to the Start menu will still have their own tile as such. 

The Start menu in the new dual-screen phone and tablet version of Windows 10 - known as Windows 10 X - doesn't have Live Tiles, so it may inform the design for the main operating system in the future. 

• What is Windows 10X, how does it work, and which devices run it?

We think it'll be easier to find apps you use regularly but don't have stuck to your taskbar. But it also looks quite text-heavy, so if you have lots of apps navigating them could be a challenge. 

As ever, the best way to get to an app you don't have stuck to your taskbar or Start Menu is to hit the Windows key and start typing its name. 

We'd expect the new Start Menu to be introduced in 2020's second significant Windows update (20 H2), probably in October. First, we're expecting the Windows 10 H1 update to debut in the coming weeks.

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