Windows 8 Metro Start Screen - Organize And Label Groups of App Tiles

Create, Organize and Label Groups of App Tiles in Windows 8 Metro Start Screen

What is the first thought that comes to you when you see Windows 8 Metro Start screen? Just a cool user interface, loaded with tiles of apps and programs you use frequently? There’s a little more to it.

Personally, Windows 8 metro start screen is really amazing with its graphical intelligence. Still there are some shortfalls and I often feel that it is a bit cluttered with dozens of app tiles pinned to it in a random manner. It’s tiring at times to locate a particular app.

That’s no wonder, no matter how useful Windows is, it’s always a little confusing and burdens you with a little extra step.

Are there workarounds to overcome this? Thankfully yes, here are some simple workarounds that will help you get the Metro Start working as it was intended to.

Create Groups for App Tiles In Windows 8 Metro Start Screen

Creating groups of similar apps can save that aforesaid time when you look for the required app tile on the start screen. Except that, I will suggest you to do this for one more reason. For giving it a personal touch and organize apps according to your requirements.

To make a group of similar app tiles in Windows 8, you just have to drag those app tiles to one place. While doing this you can see a transparent bar as shown in the image below.

drag app tiles to one place,transparent column bar

It means this bar is actually separating two groups you are creating. Finish sorting according to your requirement and you are done with organizing the apps in separate panels.

If you have a smaller screen you will still need to scroll through if you have many groups, hence its better to choose what’s most important and what’s just filling up the space. Keep in mind the golden rule of organizing, less is more.

Now if you click on the zoom out button on the bottom right of the Metro screen, you will get a zoomed out view of these groups.

After clicking it you will get the following view.

Renaming App Tile Groups

You can rename these newly created groups for quick identification. Just hover your mouse pointer over any group to be renamed and right-click on it. A task bar will pop up, click the rename button (bottom-left corner) to bring up the rename dialog.

Choose a name that pertains to the type it was segmented for (anything like, system tools).

Once done, you can clearly see those groups with their customized name.

You can always add or remove a particular app tile form any group depending on your choice and you can also swap the position of an entire group according for ease of access.

Now let’s say you want to change the size of any tile (something that is used more often than others in the group), here is how you can do it.

Select the required tile you want to change size.
Right click on it, taskbar will show up with the option Smaller or Bigger depending on the current size of that tile.
Click the button to change the size of it.

Isn’t it real simple? If not, take help from the screenshot below:

Fall in love with Metro screen?

Then you surely want to add your favorite Website to it like all other apps you enjoy. Here is how you do the simple workaround.

Go to Metro Start Screen and then tap or click on the Internet Explorer app tile.
In the Address Bar type your favorite Web Address to go to that particular website.
Click on the button showing pin icon on it and a window will pop up with an option to edit name of that tile.
Choose a suitable name and hit Pin to Start next to it and your are done.

Now you will be able to find the tile on the Metro screen. Just drag and drop it to any group. You can remove it any time if you want. For doing that, just have a right click on it and select Unpin from Start.

So here are some simple modifications I have tried with the Metro start screen that might help you declutter the Metro UI and getting Windows present you with a more fine-tuned interface for the Start screen every time it pops up. If there’s any other way you have made things easier for yourself, feel free to comment.

2. Turn off notifications for specific apps in Windows 8