How To Rename App List Items On The Start Menu On Windows 10
When you install an app in Windows 10, it is automatically added to the App List on the Start Menu. Some apps might ask if you want them to be added to the App List but most just assume you do and are added automatically. Apps are added by their own names for example, if you install Chrome, you will see the app listed as Chrome in the App List. The names are all user friendly but you can rename app list items on the Start Menu if you want.
SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down and watch the video tutorial at the end of this article.
There are two types of items on the App List; folders, and apps. Renaming app folders isn’t easy at all. The folder name is set when an app is installed and you cannot rename it on the fly. If you want to rename a folder on the App List, you’re going to have to uninstall and install the app again. During installation, the installer will ask which folder you want to install the app to and that’s where you can change the folder name. For apps, or for other user folders, renaming them in the app list is much easier.
Rename App List Items
Open the Start Menu and switch to the App List. Look for the app you want to rename. This will work even if the app icon is nested under a folder. Right-click it and select More>Open File Location.
This will open File Explorer at the location where the Start Menu app shortcut is located. Rename the file to whatever you want. In some cases, depending on the nature of the app, you may need administrative rights to rename it but in most cases, you can rename App List items without administrative rights.
Once you’ve renamed the app shortcut, open the App List in the Start Menu and it will reflect the change you’ve made. The apps in the App List are sorted alphabetically so changing the name will change its order within the alphabetically sorted list. If the app is also pinned to the Start Menu, the change will be reflected there as well. This change will not break anything.
Limitations
We mentioned earlier that you can’t rename folders on the App List. The above works for desktop apps and folders that you’ve added to the Start Menu but not UWP apps. With UWP apps, you’re more or less stuck with whatever name it installs with. This isn’t something you can change even by installing it fresh which is annoying to say the least.
