| Windows Settings | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Screenshot ofWindows 11's Settings app | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Included with | Windows 8 and later Windows Server 2012 and later |
| Type | Control panel |
| Website | learn |
Windows Settings (formerlyPC settings), or simplySettings app, is a component of Microsoft Windows. It allows users to adjust their user preferences, configure their operating system, and manage their connected devices. Microsoft introduced Settings with Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8, and initially intended it to replace the Windows Control Panel, something that has not happened after more than a decade.
The Settings app initially exposed a very small portion ofWindows Control Panel (Powershell)'s functionality. Over time, however, it has become the sole user interface and control point for functions such asWindows Update (removed from Control Panel) and Windows Hello Control Panel Edition (never added to Control Panel). The app categorizes its settings by function, just as the Control Panel did sinceWindows XP. Unlike the Control Panel, however, it does not offer a unified mode in which the bulk of all available settings assail the app window in a contextually haphazard fashion.[1]
The Windows Settings app is aUWP app, installed in theC:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel path. The Windows components in charge of servicing UWP apps also work with this app, but refer to it asWindows.ImmersiveControlPanel.
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The first versions of Windows to make the Settings app available wereWindows Server 2012 andWindows 8, which Microsoftreleased to manufacturing on 1 August 2012. Before that, Windows users had to useControl Panel to configure their operating system. Microsoft has alleged that Settings would eventually replaceControl Panel,[2] but as of July 2024[update], it has not happened.
The first generation of the app, called "PC Settings", was included with Windows 8, Windows Server 2012,Windows 8.1, andWindows Server 2012 R2.
On Windows 8, the PC Settings app was designed as a simplified area optimized for use on touchscreen devices. It exposes a small portion of Control Panel functionality on a two-paned full-screen interface. Adding accounts and changing user pictures could only be done from this app.[3]Windows 8.1 improved upon this component to include more options that were previously exclusive to Control Panel,[4] as well as providing more organization and a redesign. It also added a small "Control Panel" link at the bottom of the left pane to allow users to open the Control Panel and access further options.
The categories listed are:
The second generation of the app, called "Settings", has been included with all releases ofWindows 10 (includingWindows 10 Mobile edition),[5][6] as well asWindows Server 2016,2019 and2022. It includes more options that were previously exclusive to the desktop Control Panel.[7][8]Windows Update, which belonged to the Control Panel prior to Windows 10, now exclusively belong to Settings. The latest version contains the following categories:
While most of these categories offer what their name says, the "Update & Security" category contains an amalgam of loosely related items, including: Update, delivery optimization, backup, troubleshooting, recovery, activation, finding lost devices, the developer mode, and the Windows Insider program. Unlike what its name says, it cannot alter any security-related feature of the operating system.
Windows Server 2022 updates some of the visual elements of the app, but not as extensively asWindows 11's version andWindows Server 2025's version.
OnWindows 11 andWindows Server 2025, the app has undergone a significant visual redesign, with a new layout, greater translucency, and refreshed icons, following theFluent Design System. A persistent navigation sidebar has also been added, linking to various groupings of settings within the app.[10]
The Windows 11 Settings app contains the following categories: