Windows 11 is about to get a homepage for its Settings app, making it simpler to leap into frequent settings—as a substitute of leaving them buried deep and requiring a collection of clicks earlier than you’ll be able to entry them.

Announced on Thursday as a part of a brand new Windows 11 Insider preview construct, this new characteristic provides a brand new Home tab to the Settings app, which shows a set of interactive playing cards. Microsoft says these will supply each shortcuts to often-used settings, in addition to give a chook’s-eye view of your gadget and account standing. 

The preliminary launch will present as much as seven playing cards, with one dynamically generated primarily based on the way you’ve been utilizing your PC. More will likely be “coming soon.” Microsoft describes this primary batch as follows:

1. Recommended settings: This card adapts to your particular utilization patterns, offering well timed and related settings choices. It’s designed to streamline your settings administration and prevent time.
2. Cloud storage: Gives you an outline of your cloud storage use and allows you to know if you’re nearing capability.
3. Account restoration: Helps maintain your Microsoft account safer by serving to you add extra restoration information so that you by no means get locked out of your account, even when you overlook your password.
4. Personalization: Brings customization to the forefront by providing one-click entry to replace your background theme or change your colour mode.
5. Microsoft 365: Provides a fast glimpse of your subscription standing and advantages, together with the power to take some key actions proper in Settings as a substitute of going to the net.
6. Xbox: Similar to the Microsoft 365 card, you’ll have the ability to view your subscription standing and handle the subscription from the Settings app.
7. Bluetooth Devices: To simplify your Bluetooth gadget administration expertise, we’ve introduced this to the forefront so you’ll be able to shortly entry and connect with your favourite Bluetooth-enabled units.

Microsoft

As an Windows Insider characteristic, this alteration to the Settings app just isn’t assured to make it to common launch. However, many updates from the beta channel (as this one is) typically do. Another notable inclusion on this construct is the brand new Backup and Restore app introduced earlier this yr, which was beforehand solely accessible by way of the dev channel.

While the brand new Settings homepage ought to make it simpler to tweak Windows 11, it does spotlight how lengthy the working system has gone with out easy methods to take action. Case in level, these Bluetooth settings, which have solely gotten extra difficult to entry through keyboard shortcuts. It additionally stays to be seen how helpful the brand new interactive playing cards will likely be for these not subscribed to Microsoft 365 or Xbox non-subscribers. Will these playing cards be replaceable with different playing cards sooner or later, or will they continue to be permanent advertisements for Microsoft’s moneymakers?