How to Name Application Groups in Windows 8

Here’s a quick tip for those taking the plunge with Windows 8.

The new start screen is a different beast compared to the start menu that we’ve used since Windows 95 and has matured through to Windows 7. Organising the tiles is probably going to be important for many users including power users to get the most from the new function.

Moving tiles around is simple enough, simply hover over the tile you want to move, hold down the left mouse button and drag the tile to another group. Alternatively, you can drag a tile in between two existing group and a long bar should appear between them. If you drop the tile at this point you’ll create a brand new group.

Creating groups is fine but some people might find that they can lose track unless they name them all. Fortunately, it’s easy once you know how.

1. On the start screen, move your mouse and you should notice a tiny minus symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click on that and all of the tiles should shrink. Otherwise, hold down the Control on the keyboard and then scroll your mouse wheel down.
2. Locate the group of icons you want to name and then right click on the group.
3. At the bottom of the screen, click on “Name Group”.
4. Type in the desired name and press “Enter” on the keyboard or click the “Name” button.
5. Hit the Window key on the keyboard twice or hold down Control on the keyboard and scroll the mouse wheel up.

Hopefully, you will end up with something like the below:

Windows 8 Start Screen with Named Groups

It’s these little bits of buried functionality that will help make your experience of Windows 8 a positive and productive one.