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Windows 11's Settings app is a much better place than it used to be four years ago when the operating system was initially launched. Plenty of existing features have successfully made it from the old Control Panel to the more modern Settings app, and even though the process is rather slow (remember, the Settings app was introduced nearly 13 years ago with Windows 8), more options are coming. The latest Windows Server build, 26376, currently available for testing in the insider program, has some interesting hidden stuff inside, which should soon be available in consumer-faced Windows editions. @phantomofearth on X noticed that Microsoft had moved more mouse settings from the Control Panel to the Settings app, giving you fewer reasons to do Win + R > control. New mouse Settings that are now available in Windows Server build 26376 include the ability to enable the mouse indicator (helps you to find the cursor by pressing the Ctrl key), mouse pointer trails (and the option to change their size), the cursor shadow, and even the ability to customize the image of each pointer. Microsoft also added dedicated icons for existing features, such as cursor speed and enhanced pointer precision. Microsoft has not announced these new features yet, so the company will probably take some time to finish things up and bring new settings to consumer Windows editions. Meanwhile, you can check out some of the latest Windows Insider updates, such as a new build for Windows 11 23H2 in the Release Preview Channel, which brought File Explorer improvements, a new gamepad keyboard, context menu labels, and other changes. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of February): 874 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows 10 is in its final mainstream support year, but that does not seem to be stopping Microsoft from adding new features to the outgoing operating system. In fact, Windows 10 is getting a pretty neat upgrade to its Settings app, which will make even Windows 11 users a bit jealous. The just-released Windows 10 Release Preview and Beta build 19045.5070 (KB5045594) has some hidden upgrades to the "About" section in the Settings app. Besides having some oddly ported Windows 11 design elements (not sure if it is a bug or a feature), the updated page displays much more information about your PC specs. Those include your graphics card model, the amount of video memory, storage, and drive model. Also, the most important bits are prominently displayed in overhead cards. Neat! Image source: @PhantomOfEarth on X There is even a small FAQ section where users can learn more information about their computers, such as how the amount of RAM affects performance, what the latest Windows version is, and more. Image source: @PhantomOfEarth on X While the looks are definitely odd (what a weird mashup of Windows 10 and 11 design languages), it is nice to see Microsoft updating the "About" page with so much extra information, making it much easier to learn the most important bits about your computer. The changelog for build 19045.5070 does mention the revamped "About" section, and getting it to work requires turning on two feature IDs with the ViVeTool app. Here is how to do it: Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder. Run Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to the folder with ViVeTool files using the CD command. Type vivetool /enable /id:48478026,48433719,49453572 and press Enter. Restart your computer. Now, all Microsoft has to do, except announce the new page, is bring it to Windows 11 users as well. Interestingly, pre-release Windows 11 builds have had similar spec cards in the Settings app, but Microsoft never released them to the public. Perhaps now is the time? Source: @PhantomOfEarth on X Source RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts

It looks like Microsoft is working on some major changes to the Settings app in Windows 11. Earlier today, we posted about a new design revamp for Settings that the company is implementing. While not everyone may like the new style, there will be others too who will probably appreciate the new look. Outside of just aesthetic changes related to how the Settings page appears, Microsoft is also working on some other stuff inside Settings, one that could interest Windows enthusiasts and users who like going digging inside Settings. The Startup apps page in Settings, which lists the various apps that run when Windows boots up, is getting a change. While the feature is hidden for now, it looks like Microsoft is working on this option to allow users to view the installation directory or file location of such apps in case they were based on Win32. This could certainly come in handy if they don't want to do the same thing via the Task Manager. However, this new option is seemingly more useful due to the more detailed information in certain cases. The change was spotted by Windows detective PhantomOcean3 - who loves digging such hidden features out - in the latest Dev build 25247. We list the steps below to enable this feature but keep in mind they are hidden since these are work-in-progress and not fully tested. Caution: Unannounced features are often raw, unstable, or borderline unusable. Back up important data before using the ViveTool app and enabling hidden options. Remember that using stable Windows 11 is the best way to ensure your system remains as bug-free as possible. Here's how to do so: Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files somewhere convenient. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin). Switch Windows Terminal to Command Prompt profile by pressing Ctrl + Shift + 2 or clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window. Navigate to the folder containing the extracted files using the CD command. For example, if you have extracted ViveTool to C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:41075629 and press Enter. Restart your computer. In case you want to disable the feature again, repeat the steps above and replace /enable with /disable in the commands on steps 5 and 6. Besides this, Microsoft has also brought back a hidden feature that was first seen in a previous build 22581. It's related to the option for recycling your PC. Aside from these changes in the Settings menu, Microsoft is also working on adding a Never combine taskbar buttons option in Windows 11 too. Microsoft working on changes inside Windows 11 Settings for Startup apps, and more

Several weeks ago, Microsoft started redesigning old dialog boxes in the Settings app. "Rename this PC," date and time picker, and "Reset this PC" now feature modern UIs with dark theme support, rounded corners, and other Windows 11 design elements. The latest Windows 11 Dev build continues this trend and introduces a refreshed "Go back to earlier build" dialog box. The "Go back to earlier build" UI is not something you will use daily, if ever. It lets you uninstall the latest feature update or return to a previous Windows Insider build. Still, even though some users do not even know that that dialog box exists, the redesigned variant is another step in making Windows 11 more modern, consistent, and beautiful. Here is how the new UI compares to the old: Old New And here is the dark variant: You can enable the new "Go back to earlier build" dialog box using the ViveTool app. Caution: Unannounced features are often raw, unstable, or borderline unusable. Back up important data before enabling hidden options using the ViveTool app. Remember that stable Windows 11 builds are the best way to ensure your system remains as bug-free as possible. How to enable the redesigned "Go back" dialog box in Windows 11 build 25247 Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin). Switch Windows Terminal to Command Prompt profile by pressing Ctrl + Shift + 2 or clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window. Navigate to the folder containing the extracted files using the CD command. For example, if you have copied ViveTool to C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:36390579 and press Enter. Type vivetool /enable /id:41670003 and press Enter. Open the Settings app and go to Windows Update > Advanced Options > Recovery > Go back. If you change your mind and want to restore the original Metro variant, repeat the steps above and replace /enable with /disable in the commands on steps 5 and 6. Thank you, @PhantomofEarth, for sharing the findings! Settings app gets a more modern design in Windows 11 build 25247

Microsoft arguably did a great job upgrading and facelifting Windows Settings when transitioning from Windows 10 to 11. The new app features a sleek modern design, improved navigation, better accessibility, and many new sections. However, the Settings app is far from perfect. This part of the operating system still needs improvements, as seen by posts and upvotes on Feedback Hub from those caring enough to share their feedback with Microsoft. In this installment of the "Top 10 features users want," we look at what customers want Microsoft to improve in Windows 11's Settings app. The following list shows suggestions published on Feedback Hub that Microsoft has yet to implement. Ideas and requests for changes Microsoft has already made are not included. 1. Add automatic switching between light and dark mode - 6520+ upvotes. Response from Microsoft: Appreciate the feedback, this has been shared with the team for future consideration Tip: You can get this feature using third-party apps, such as Auto Dark Mode we recently featured in our "Top 11 apps for Windows 11 users" article. 2. Merge the old Control Panel with the Settings app - 6360+ upvotes. Response from Microsoft: Thanks for your feedback about merging settings and the control panel. This is something we have been and will continue working on. 3. Windows Update should include changelogs for cumulative updates - 2130+ upvotes. Response from Microsoft: Appreciate the feedback! When you install a cumulative update, if you go to Windows Update Settings > View Installed Update History, you should find a link to the changelist for that cumulative update. However, users are not happy with the response from Microsoft, and many agree in the comments that Windows Update should display changelogs before installing the updates. Besides, release notes should not require opening a browser. 4. Allow opening several Settings windows at once - 2030+ upvotes. Response from Microsoft: We got this feedback. 5. Restore the old default apps settings section - 1232+ upvotes. Windows 10 and early Windows 11 builds allow setting default apps per category (Email, Browser, Media Player, etc), not per extension. Users argue that the new variant is too clunky and unintuitive, making it harder for users to opt out of using Microsoft Edge as the default browser. Response from Microsoft: We got this feedback. 6. Slow performance - 830+ upvotes. Response from Microsoft: Thanks for taking the time to report this. We've been making improvements as subsequent builds have flighted out, and will continue monitoring feedback. If you're experiencing performance issues in the latest updates, either with Settings app launch time, or page navigation, please log feedback letting us know what you're seeing and including a trace of the issue if possible. 7. Add search to Device Manager - 380+ upvotes. This is technically not directly related to the Settings app. However, I decided to include this in the list since Device Manager is a part of the old Control Panel and users desperately want Microsoft to get rid of the latter. Response from Microsoft: Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. At this point we're not planning on making investments in this space, however we will take your request into consideration if that plan changes. 8. Do not remove the old Control Panel - 350+ upvotes. A funny one. Although most users agree that Windows 11 should have only one app for settings, more than 350 users have upvoted the suggestion to keep the good-old Control Panel in the operating system. It is worth noting that there are reasons to support this feedback. Some users are unhappy with how Microsoft transitions from the Control Panel to Settings—"modern" implementations of the old options sometimes lack specific features or are less convenient. Response from Microsoft: We got this feedback. 9. Allow adjusting the amount of transparency, not just the on/off switch - 185+ upvotes. Response from Microsoft: We got this feedback. 10. Add a Screen Time feature - 70+ upvotes. Mobile operating systems and macOS have a built-in feature that lets you see how much time you spend using various apps and set screen time limits. Unfortunately, Windows 11 has no such feature, and the response from Microsoft is not very promising: We got this feedback. Those are the most popular feedback pieces regarding the Settings app in Windows 11. Do you agree that Microsoft should make those a priority? Maybe Microsoft should focus on other aspects of the Settings app? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Also, upvote feedback from other customers or file yours in the Feedback Hub. Here are the top 10 improvements Windows 11 users want for the Settings app

It's been over a month since Windows 11 started generally rolling out, but since it is being made available in a staggered manner, not everyone has received it on their machine. Although there are ways to immediately trigger the update, it is perhaps advisable to know what's in store before you decide to do so. This is exactly what we've been exploring so far in our ongoing Closer Look series. So far, we have taken a look at Search, Widgets, the Start menu, Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, the Taskbar, quick settings and notifications, Virtual Desktops, power and battery settings, default apps configurations, File Explorer, context menus, Teams integration, the updated Clock app in Windows 11, the Microsoft Store, the Snipping Tool, the Paint app refresh, the lock screen, the revamped Photos app, the voice typing experience, the storage settings, the touch keyboard, the Calendar app integration, and the Calculator app. Today, we'll be discussing a very specific feature, namely the Settings app's UI in Windows 11. For the purpose of this hands-on, we'll be taking a look at the generally available Windows 11 build versus a publicly available and up-to-date Windows 10 (version 21H1 build 19043.1320). Right off the bat, I would like to emphasize that we are not looking at the entire Settings app (in fact, we have discussed many sections of it already in individual Closer Look articles), but will only be focusing on some specific UI updates. Settings app in Windows 10 Starting off with the Settings app in Windows 10 first. On the landing page, you get some of your important information at the top, such as the account you're logged into, your OneDrive sync status, Windows Update, Microsoft Rewards points, and the option to use Microsoft-recommended browser settings. Then, there are also some more detailed configurations options below with their own sets of nested menus. There is also a handy search bar at the top of this section in case you don't exactly know where the setting you're looking for is situated. There are also subtle animations on hover and the item you currently have your cursor over is highlighted with a slight border as you can see on the "System" button in the screenshot above. I really like the simplicity of this UI. Settings app in Windows 10 Like I said, we won't be discussing all the individual settings in detail. Instead, we'll be focusing on the general UI. As an example, I have attached a screenshot of the System > Display section above to demonstrate the UI pattern. When you click on a section on the landing page, you'll be directed to a dedicated page showing you subsections in the left pane, the associated configurations at the right of it, and then some helpful tips at the right. You can click on any of the options on the left to navigate to a setting and there's also a search bar if you don't exactly know where you want to navigate to. My main complaint with this is that Microsoft wastes a lot of space across all its interfaces. Scrolling in pages is a common but cumbersome activity and there is lots of whitespace, which I personally consider to be wasted potential to reduce scrolling. Settings app in Windows 11 Coming over to Windows 11, it's really interesting to see that Microsoft has done away with the traditional landing page, kind of. What you see instead is the "System" page which launches by default with all the main settings shifted to the left pane. These sections also feature new colorful icons unlike the monochrome icons present in Windows 10. The System page launching as default also makes sense to me because it consists of what you would probably define as the "core" settings of an OS. There is still a separation at the top here which shows you your device's name, Windows Update, and OneDrive sync status. Microsoft Rewards have been removed from here and so has the ability to set Microsoft-recommended browser settings. This was a pleasant yet surprising change for me considering the anti-competitive practices Microsoft has been engaging in when it comes to default apps. Your profile information has been moved to the pane on the left. I highly prefer this organization of the Settings app in Windows 11 due to how clean it looks as well as the consistency benefits that I'll talk about later. Settings app in Windows 11 For the sake of comparison with the second screenshot from Windows 10, I have navigated to and attached a screenshot of System > Display in Windows 11. You'll immediately notice that the pane on the left is retained as-is, which I think is nice in terms of consistency as it translates across the entire app. Meanwhile, all the configurations themselves have been moved to the center of the screen, which means that you'll find an abundance of nested menus since this information was previously present on the left pane in Window 10. All the tips and feedback buttons have been moved to the bottom of the page. This makes sense to me as it seems more consistent to me and space is better utilized. Other minor changes to the UI also means that there is not a lot of whitespace and I have to scroll less. That said, I'm not sure if this is something that I just personally like or whether the feedback is universal across Windows 11 users. Settings app in Windows 11 Another thing I would like to highlight is the presence of breadcrumbs at the top. An example can be seen above where I navigated to System > Display > Graphics. A really, really good move that Microsoft initiated in the Settings app for Windows 11 is to show this path at the top of the page. What this means is that I can easily jump between menus without having to press the "back" button, regardless of how deep I am in the configurations, in terms of nesting. This change has really improved my productivity and flow overall since I use the Settings app quite frequently for one reason or the other. Overall, I think that Microsoft has done a really good job with the Settings app revamp in Windows 11. It's not perfect as you will come across some inconsistencies and wastage of space in specific sections, but I definitely think that the company is on the right track. I love the colorful icons and the presence of breadcrumbs as they have increased the speed at which I can quickly navigate through different menus. Moving all the settings and profile information to the left and keeping it consistent across all Settings pages regardless of what page you're on also ensures that you can quickly jump through all kinds of settings without having to navigate to the landing page (which is absent in Windows 11) every time. I'm eager to see how Microsoft further evolves this down the line via updates. Closer Look: Settings app UI in Windows 11