Secret and useful Windows 11 settings hidden in new preview

Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft and comes with many new features and improvements. But some of the most useful settings are not easy to find and you may miss them if you don’t know where to look. In this blog post, we’ll show you some of the secret and useful Windows 11 settings hidden in the new preview and how to access them.

1. Snapshot and snapshot group designs

Una de las mejores características de Windows 11 es la capacidad de ajustar ventanas en diferentes diseños de la pantalla, como dos mitades verticales, tres tercios horizontales o cuatro cuadrantes. Puede acceder a estos diseños colocando el cursor sobre el botón maximizar en cualquier ventana o usando el método abreviado de teclado Win + Z. También puede crear diseños personalizados arrastrando y soltando ventanas en los bordes de la pantalla. Pero, ¿qué sucede si desea cambiar rápidamente entre diferentes diseños o moverlos a otro monitor? Ahí es donde entran los Grupos Snap. Los Grupos Snap son colecciones de ventanas que usted ha juntado y aparecen como miniaturas en la barra de tareas. Puede hacer clic en cualquier miniatura para cambiar a ese grupo, o hacer clic derecho sobre él para moverlo a otra pantalla. Snap Groups facilita la organización de sus espacios de trabajo y la realización de múltiples tareas de manera eficiente.

Focus sessions

If you need to concentrate on a specific task, such as writing a report, studying for an exam or learning a new skill, Windows 11 has a feature for you: Focus Sessions. Focus Sessions is a mode that helps you block out distractions and keep track of your progress. To start a Focus Session, open the Clock app and click the Focus Session tab. You can then choose a task from your Microsoft To-Do list or create a new one. You can also select a Spotify playlist to listen to while you work and set a timer for how long you want to focus. Then, Windows 11 will minimize all other windows and applications and show you only your task and timer on the screen. You can also see how many focus sessions you have completed in a day, week or month and how much time you have spent on each task.

3. Devices

Widgets are small applications that display information at a glance, such as weather, news, calendar, traffic, sports, stocks and more. Windows 11 has a dedicated widget button on the taskbar that opens a panel on the left side of the screen. You can customize this panel by adding or removing widgets, resizing or rearranging them. You can also pin widgets to your desktop, so they are always visible. Widgets are a great way to stay up-to-date and informed without opening multiple applications or websites.

4. Power mode

Windows 11 allows you to adjust the power mode of your device according to your needs and preferences. Power mode is a setting that affects the performance and battery life offered by your device. You can access it by clicking the battery icon on the taskbar or by going to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Power Mode. There are four options to choose from:

– Better battery life: this mode reduces the performance of your device to save as much battery as possible. It is ideal for when you are away from a power outlet for a long time, or when you don’t need high performance.

– Better battery: this mode balances performance and battery life and is suitable for most everyday tasks.

– Better performance: this mode slightly increases the performance of your device, but at the cost of some battery life. Good for when you need more speed or responsiveness.

– Best performance: This mode maximizes the performance of your device, but drains the battery faster. It is recommended when you need high performance for demanding tasks, such as gaming or video editing.

You can change the power mode at any time, depending on what you are doing and how much battery you have left.

5. Night light

If you use your device at night or in low-light environments, you may want to enable Night Light. Night Light is a feature that reduces the blue light emitted by the screen, which can help you sleep better and reduce eyestrain. To enable Night Light, go to Settings > System > Display > Night Light. You can adjust the color temperature and intensity of Night Light according to your preferences. You can also set Night Light to turn on automatically at dusk or at a specific time.

Microsoft quietly adds a new feature to the Windows 11 settings application

If you’re a Windows 11 Insider preview tester in the Canary channel, you may have noticed a new section in the Settings app called System Components. This feature, which was not mentioned in the Windows 11 build 25926 release notes, allows you to view and uninstall some of the built-in apps and tools that come with Windows 11.

How to enable system components in Windows 11 setup application

The System Components section is not visible by default in the configuration application. You need to use some external tools to enable it. One of them is ViVeTool, a command line utility that can modify Windows functions. Another is Microsoft’s internal leaked Staging Tool, which is a graphical interface to ViVeTool.

To use ViVeTool, you must download it from GitHub and run it as administrator. Then, you must enter the following command:

ViVeTool.exe addconfig 30136265 2

To use the Staging tool, you must download it from here and run it as administrator. Then check the box next to SystemComponents and click Apply.

After enabling the feature, you must restart your PC or log off and log on again. You should then see the System Components section under Applications in the Setup application.

What can you do with the system components in the Windows 11 setup application?

The System Components section shows you a list of the applications and tools that are integrated in Windows 11. Some of them are familiar to you, such as Calculator, Paint, Snipping Tool, etc. Some of them are less familiar, such as Application Installer, Feedback Hub, Mixed Reality Portal, etc.

You can click on any of them to see more details, such as version number, size and publisher. You can also uninstall some of them by clicking the Uninstall button. However, not all of them can be uninstalled. For example, you cannot uninstall Microsoft Edge or Settings.

Why is this feature useful for Windows 11 users?

This feature is useful for Windows 11 users who want to have more control over their system and remove unwanted items. By grouping system applications and providing easy access to them, Microsoft simplifies the process for anyone who wants to customize their Windows 11 experience.

This feature is also consistent with Microsoft’s recent efforts to improve the Windows 11 user interface. The company already revamped the Start menu and added a system tab for shortcuts to built-in apps. It also updated the Microsoft Store and added more categories for apps.

The System Components feature is still in a very early testing stage and may change or disappear in future releases. Microsoft has not yet officially announced or documented this feature. However, we expect it to become a permanent part of Windows 11 and provide more options for users to manage their system components.