Other names PC Settings | Type Control panel | |
Included with Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows RT, Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Mobile | ||
Settings (formerly PC settings) is a UWP app included with Windows 8 and later, Windows Server 2012 and later, and Windows 10 Mobile.
Contents
Windows 8, 8.1, and Windows Server 2012
On Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8, PC settings was designed as a simplified settings area optimized for use on touchscreen devices. It exposed a small portion of settings accessible via desktop Control Panel with a two-paned interface; additionally, some functions (including adding accounts and changing user pictures) could only be done from PC settings.
Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 improved upon this component to include more options that were previously exclusive to Control Panel, 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/sections listed are:
Windows 10
On Windows 10, the app was renamed to "Settings", and as with all other Windows apps, now runs within a desktop window. It includes more options that were previously exclusive to the desktop Control Panel. Some features that belonged to the Control Panel prior to Windows 10, such as Windows Update, now exclusively belong to Settings. As it is also a Universal Windows app, this version of Settings is also used on Windows 10 Mobile for smartphones and tablet computers. Microsoft intends to eventually replace the Control Panel with the Settings app.
In the Windows 10 Settings app, the following categories are listed:
Upcoming Features as Seen on Insider Preview Builds
The Insider Preview builds of Windows 10 have 3 additional sections, which will most likely make it to the upcoming creator's update. The new categories are: