Finally Start Menu Integration For Windows App

Microsoft released Windows App version 2.0.804.0 to Insiders on the 10th of November 2025 and to the public on the 12th of November 2025. The Windows App can now surface remote resources (RemoteApps / Cloud Apps / remote VMs) in the local Windows Start menu, so users can launch them like local apps.

Below I’ll explain what the feature does, why it matters, who and what is supported, and exactly what to do to pilot and deploy it during preview.

IMPORTANT: This feature is in PREVIEW. Read the Supplemental terms for Microsoft Azure Previews before you test the feature in a productive environment.

What The Start Menu Integration Feature Does

Prerequisites

• Windows App version 2.0.804.0.
• A Windows device that supports the Windows App.
• Published remote resources (AVD RemoteApps, AVD remote desktops, Windows 365 Cloud Apps/Cloud PCs) that the Windows App already exposes to users.

Behavior Notes

• The feature is off by default. Users will have to enable it in the app settings.
• Admins can fully disable the feature, so the toggle does not appear, or can show the toggle and leave it unlocked or locked (on or off).
• Even when visible and enabled, synchronization affects Start menu only; taskbar pinning is not supported by this feature.

How To Enable This Feature

• Open Windows App.
• Go to Settings.
• Find “Add remote resources to your Start menu” and toggle it on.
• The app will sync available remote resources to the Start menu. Users can then pin or unpin those tiles in Start as needed.

How To Enable This Feature (By Admins)

During preview, you must set the appropriate registry keys on your devices to make the feature available by default or to control its behavior. You can deploy these keys with Intune, Group Policy scripts, Configuration Manager, or any software distribution tool.

Registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsApp
(The key “WindowsApp” has to be created in some cases to.)

Keys And Values

1. SyncToStartMenuUnavailable (REG_DWORD)
   • Purpose: Controls availability of the Start menu integration feature in Windows App settings.
   •  Values:
     • 0 = Feature available (toggle can appear)
     • 1 = Feature disabled (toggle does not display; users cannot enable)

• Example (enable availability):

  reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsApp" /v SyncToStartMenuUnavailable /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

2. SyncToStartMenuConfig (REG_DWORD)
   • Purpose: Controls whether the toggle is shown and whether it’s locked or unlocked and on or off.
   •  Values:
     • 0 = Toggle unlocked and off (users can switch it on)
     • 1 = Toggle unlocked and on (resources sync to start; users can switch it off)
     • 16 = Toggle locked and off (users cannot change; no sync)
     • 17 = Toggle locked and on (users cannot change; sync active)

• Examples:
  • Leave toggle available but default off:

    reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsApp" /v SyncToStartMenuConfig /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

  • Lock the setting on:

    reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsApp" /v SyncToStartMenuConfig /t REG_DWORD /d 17 /f

Combining Keys

• If SyncToStartMenuUnavailable=1, the feature is hidden regardless of SyncToStartMenuConfig.
• If SyncToStartMenuUnavailable=0 (or absent) and SyncToStartMenuConfig is set, Windows App will show the toggle according to SyncToStartMenuConfig’s value.

Known Issues & Limitations (Preview)

• The feature is disabled by default; toggles must be enabled or unlocked by policy or user action.
• Resources synced to start cannot be pinned to the taskbar via this feature.
• Exact appearance and layout may change prior to GA.
• If SyncToStartMenuUnavailable is configured incorrectly, users may not see the setting at all.
• In my tests, the locked SyncToStartMenuConfig values (16 and 17) were inconsistent and somewhat buggy.
• Behavior may differ across Windows versions.

Conclusion

I’m glad to see start menu integration finally is available in Windows App version 2.0.804.0. It’s a welcome feature, and frankly a little overdue given that the “old” Remote Desktop app already offered this convenience. That said, managing it via machine registry keys is rather unplesant. I’d like Microsoft to expose this as a Settings Catalog policy in Intune (or provide a native MDM/ADMX-backed setting) so administrators can manage it without scripts.

Sources

• Configure Start menu integration for Windows — Microsoft Learn
• Windows App — What’s new (version 2.0.804.0)