By Adam Smart, Ecokeys Support Engineer — Last updated 11 August 2026

What Features Are Included with Windows 11 Home?

Windows 11 Home is the standard consumer edition of Windows 11. It provides the same core desktop experience used across Windows 11, without many of the specialist management, virtualisation and business tools included with Pro.

Start, Search and the Windows 11 Desktop

Windows 11 Home uses the Windows 11 Start menu and taskbar, with the main taskbar icons centred by default. The taskbar alignment can also be changed to the left if preferred.

The Start menu provides quick access to pinned applications, recently used content and Windows Search. Search can be used to find installed applications, settings and files without navigating through several menus.

These are standard Windows 11 features and are not exclusive to Windows 11 Pro.

Snap Layouts and Multitasking

Snap is one of the most useful everyday Windows 11 features. It lets you arrange open applications into organised areas of the screen instead of repeatedly resizing and positioning windows yourself.

Depending on your display and the number of open applications, Windows can offer different layouts for working with two or more windows at once.

Ways to use Snap

• Drag a window to the side or corner of the screen.
• Hover over the maximise button to view available layouts.
• Use keyboard shortcuts to move windows around the display.
• Use Snap Assist to fill remaining parts of a layout with other open applications.

If you want to explore the feature in more detail, see our Windows 11 Snap Layouts guide.

Multiple desktops

Windows 11 Home also supports multiple desktops. These provide separate workspaces that can be used to organise different activities.

For example, you could keep:

• work applications on one desktop;
• email and communication apps on another;
• personal browsing on a third; or
• different projects separated into their own workspaces.

Open Task View or press Windows key + Tab to view and manage desktops.

Widgets in Windows 11 Home

Windows 11 includes a Widgets board designed to provide frequently checked information without requiring every associated application or website to remain open.

Depending on the applications, services and personalisation available on the PC, Widgets can provide information such as:

• weather and forecasts;
• news;
• traffic;
• stocks and market information;
• photos; and
• content from supported applications.

The Widgets board can be opened from the taskbar or by pressing Windows key + W.

Widgets can be pinned, removed, arranged and resized. The exact widgets available can change as Microsoft and application developers add or retire integrations.

Windows 11 Home Security Features

Windows 11 Home includes substantial built-in security. A home user does not need Windows 11 Pro simply to receive antivirus protection, a firewall or the basic Windows security features.

Windows Security and Microsoft Defender

The Windows Security app provides access to core security areas including virus and threat protection, firewall settings, device security and application or browser protection.

TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot

A supported Windows 11 installation requires TPM 2.0 and UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability. These requirements help provide a stronger hardware-backed security foundation.

Windows Hello

Windows Hello can provide convenient sign-in methods on compatible hardware, including facial recognition, fingerprint recognition and PIN-based authentication.

Device Encryption

Some compatible Windows 11 Home computers support Device Encryption. When the necessary hardware and account requirements are met, Windows can encrypt supported system and fixed drives to help protect their data.

For a more detailed explanation, see our Windows 11 Device Encryption and BitLocker guide.

Is Windows 11 Home Good for Gaming?

Yes. For most gaming PCs, Windows 11 Home provides the important Windows gaming features needed by ordinary players.

Depending on the game and hardware, Windows 11 can support technologies including:

• DirectX 12 for modern graphics and gaming features;
• DirectStorage on suitable hardware and supported games;
• Auto HDR with a compatible HDR display;
• Game Bar for gaming shortcuts and supported capture features; and
• Xbox and Microsoft Store gaming services where used.

Windows 11 Pro does not normally provide higher frame rates simply because it is the Pro edition. Processor, graphics card, RAM, storage, drivers and game settings have a much greater effect on gaming performance.

Phone Link and Connected Devices

Windows 11 can work with the Phone Link app to connect supported Android phones and iPhones to the PC.

Available functions depend on the phone and configuration, but can include access to notifications, messages, calls and other supported phone features from Windows.

This can be useful when working at a desk because it reduces the need to repeatedly move between the computer and phone.

Accessibility Features in Windows 11 Home

Windows 11 includes accessibility tools intended to make the operating system easier to use for people with different visual, hearing, mobility and interaction requirements.

Examples include:

• Narrator for spoken information about items displayed on screen;
• Magnifier for enlarging areas of the display;
• Live Captions for supported audio;
• Voice access for controlling Windows and entering text using speech;
• contrast themes and display adjustments;
• text size settings; and
• keyboard, mouse and interaction accessibility options.

Many accessibility features can be found under Settings > Accessibility.

Touch, Pen and Personalisation

Windows 11 Home supports touch and pen input when the computer includes compatible hardware.

On touchscreen devices, Windows supports gestures for navigating, switching applications and interacting with the interface. Compatible pens can be used for handwriting, drawing, annotation and other pen-enabled applications.

Personalising Windows 11 Home

Users can customise many parts of the desktop experience, including:

• desktop backgrounds;
• themes;
• accent colours;
• lock-screen settings;
• Start menu items;
• taskbar behaviour; and
• light and dark appearance modes.

What Is Windows 11 Home in S Mode?

Some computers are supplied with Windows 11 Home in S mode.

S mode limits application installation to apps available through the Microsoft Store. It is designed to provide a more controlled Windows environment, but it can cause confusion when someone tries to install ordinary desktop software downloaded from elsewhere.

Windows 11 in S mode is only available with the Home edition.

If you need to install an application that is not available through Microsoft Store, Windows provides a process for switching out of S mode. The switch is free, but it is one-way.

See our guide to switching out of Windows 11 S mode if an application cannot be installed because of this restriction.

What Doesn't Windows 11 Home Include?

Windows 11 Home contains the features most personal users need, but some specialist tools are reserved for Pro and other higher editions.

Windows 11 Home System Requirements

The minimum hardware requirements for a supported Windows 11 Home installation include:

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system on a chip
• Memory: 4 GB RAM or more
• Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
• Firmware: UEFI with Secure Boot capability
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0
• Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics with a WDDM 2.0 driver
• Display: HD 720p display larger than 9 inches diagonally
• Setup: internet connectivity and a Microsoft account are required during initial setup

Meeting the basic figures alone does not guarantee compatibility because the processor must also be supported and the required security features must be available.

Before installing or upgrading, use our Windows 11 compatibility and system requirements guide to check the computer properly.

Is Windows 11 Home Enough for Most People?

For most personal PCs, yes.

Windows 11 Home is suitable for typical activities including:

• web browsing and email;
• watching video and streaming services;
• school and university work;
• Microsoft Office and ordinary desktop applications;
• working from home;
• PC gaming;
• photo and media applications; and
• general family use.

Moving to Pro only makes sense when there is a specific Pro feature you actually need. Paying for Pro does not by itself make normal Windows applications run faster or improve ordinary gaming performance.

Frequently Asked Questions