Understand and explore Windows Settings

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

Note

To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.

The Settings app in Windows 11 offers a centralized hub to manage and customize device preferences. This includes categories such as System, Bluetooth & Devices, Network & Internet, Personalization, Apps, Accounts, Time & Language, Accessibility, Privacy & Security, Gaming, and Windows Update. This guide provides a detailed description of the setting categories in the Settings app. 

In this topic

Open Windows Settings

Press Windows WindowsLogo key +I to open the Windows settings window. Your screen reader reads, "Settings window, search box; find a setting."

For more information, go to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Settings in Windows.

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to the System settings.

  2. To navigate between categories, press the Up or Down arrow key and then press Enter to open it.

  3. Use Tab and arrow keys to move through the options within the selected section and press Backspace to return to the Settings window.

    Note

    To search for a specific setting, press Ctrl+E. The focus moves to the search box of the Settings window. Use the arrow keys to browse the search results and press Enter to open the selected setting.

The System section in the Settings app allows you to manage essential features such as display, sound, notifications, storage, and power settings ensuring your device runs smoothly and efficiently.

Steps to navigate System settings

  1. Open the Settings app, then press Tab key until you hear "System," and press Enter.
  2. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for managing display, sound, notifications, power, and storage settings.

Note

  • Surface device users can use the Surface app to customize their interaction with the device. The available settings and customization options depend on the specific type of Surface device being used.
  • If you don't have the Surface app installed, you can download the Surface app from the Microsoft Store. When it has downloaded, select Start, search for Surface, then select the app from the list of results.

To explore some commonly used system settings such as display, clipboard, notifications, screensharing and projecting, and power management, check out the following articles:

The Bluetooth and devices section lets you manage devices connected to your computer, including wireless peripherals such as mouse, keyboards, speakers, headphones, and more.

Additionally, this section includes the Phone Link feature under the Mobile devices page, which allows you to connect your Android or iPhone to your PC.

Steps to navigate Bluetooth and devices settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to the System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Bluetooth and devices," then press Enter.
  3. Use Up or Down arrow key to explore available options for connecting, removing, or managing devices.

Note

  • Surface device users can use the Surface app to customize their interaction with the device. The available settings and customization options depend on the specific type of Surface device being used.
  • If you don't have the Surface app installed, you can download the Surface app from the Microsoft Store. When it has downloaded, select Start, search for Surface, then select the app from the list of results.

To explore some commonly used Bluetooth and devices settings, such as mouse, keyboard, hearing devices, and phone link, refer to the following articles:

The Network and Internet section allows you to manage your device's connectivity, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, mobile hotspots, and airplane mode settings.

Additionally, this section includes settings for dial-Up connections, which allow you to configure and edit dial-up connections directly within the Settings app. Improvements have been made to dial-up settings to allow for making changes and managing the connections inside of the Settings app.

Steps to navigate Network and Internet settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Network and Internet," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for connecting to networks, troubleshooting connectivity issues, or managing data usage.

For information on how to connect to a Wi-Fi network, refer to Connect to a Wi-Fi network in Windows And Setting up a wireless network in Windows.

The Personalization section allows you to customize the appearance of your device, including themes, backgrounds, colors, lock screen, taskbar settings, and more. These features enable you to create a unique and visually appealing desktop experience tailored to your preferences.

You can also manage Text Input settings to personalize your on-screen keyboard and typing insights, optimizing the typing experience to suit your needs. The Fonts section lets you view installed fonts or add new ones, allowing further customization of the text style across your device.

Additionally, personalization settings include features such as Interactive Weather on Lock Screen and Desktop Spotlight, offering options to enhance your lock screen with real-time weather updates or rotating images and details. If you want to adjust how you use your device to get personalized tips, ads, and recommendations within Microsoft experience, navigate the Device Usage settings in the Settings app for further customization options.

Steps to navigate Personalization settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Personalization," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for updating your device's look and feel to suit your preferences.

To explore some commonly used personalization settings such as lock screen, dynamic lighting, refer to the following articles:

The Apps section allows you to manage the programs installed on your device. This includes uninstalling and managing apps and setting default programs. This section provides access to configuring offline maps, which let you download maps for use without an internet connection, and apps for websites, where you can control which apps open web links.

Additionally, the Startup settings enable you to manage which apps launch automatically when your device starts, helping to optimize performance.

Steps to navigate Apps settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Apps," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for managing your installed apps, advanced app settings, and startup behavior.

To explore some commonly used app settings such as uninstall apps, startup configuration, and offline maps, refer to the following articles:

The Accounts section allows you to manage user accounts, sign-in options, and account preferences. You can choose to sign in with a personal, work, or school account, ensuring seamless access to resources and settings across devices.

This section provides options to enhance security by customizing sign-in methods such as Windows Hello (facial recognition, fingerprint, or PIN), traditional passwords, and security keys. Additionally, you can configure email and account settings for connected apps, enabling the synchronization of emails, calendars, and contacts.

You can also use the Windows Backup settings within this section to back up your important files, preferences, and settings to the cloud, ensuring you can restore them easily on a new or existing device.

Steps to navigate Accounts settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Accounts," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options related to account.

To explore some commonly used account settings such as sign in options, backup and restore data, refer to the following articles:

The Time and language section includes settings for date and time, language and region, typing, and speech (your device's language and voice options). You can adjust the time zone, enable automatic updates for time settings, configure preferred display languages, and manage input and speech preferences.

Additionally, the typing settings allow you to personalize your typing experience with features such as autocorrect, text suggestions, and multilingual input options. The Windows typing and speech features enhance your typing efficiency by providing insights such as spelling and grammar corrections, predictive text suggestions, and more, improving your overall productivity.

Steps to navigate Time and Language settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Time and Language," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for managing time settings, language preferences, and speech configurations.

To explore some commonly used time and language settings such as date and time, language and region, typing, and speech, refer to the following articles:

The Gaming section allows you to customize settings for an enhanced gaming experience, including configuring the Game bar for capturing and sharing gameplay, managing Captures for recording and saving your location, and enabling Game mode to optimize system performance during gaming sessions.

Steps to navigate Gaming settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Gaming," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for customizing the Game Bar, adjusting capture settings, and enabling Game Mode.

To explore some commonly used gaming settings such as game mode and game bar, refer to the following articles:

The Accessibility section provides a range of settings designed to make Windows easier to use. The system organizes these settings into three main sections:

  1. Vision: This section includes options to adjust text size, enable visual effects, customize the mouse pointer and touch indicator, configure the text cursor, use the Magnifier, apply color filters, activate contrast themes, and use the Narrator screen reader.
  2. Hearing: This section offers settings for managing audio related options, configuring hearing devices, and enabling captions.
  3. Interaction: This section allows customization of speech, keyboard, mouse, and eye control for more efficient device interaction.

Steps to navigate Accessibility settings

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Accessibility," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore the available settings for vision, hearing, and interaction features.

For more information about Accessibility settings such as text size, color filters, text cursor, hearing devices, speech, keyboard, and mouse, refer to the following articles:

The Privacy and security section allows you to manage your device's data privacy and security features. This includes settings for app permissions, where you can control what information apps can access, and Windows security, which helps protect your device with tools such as antivirus, firewall, and device encryption.

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Privacy and security," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow key to explore options for managing privacy preferences and enhancing your device's security.

Note

  • Surface device users can use the Surface app to customize their interaction with the device. The available settings and customization options depend on the specific type of Surface device being used.
  • If you don't have the Surface app installed, you can download the Surface app from the Microsoft Store. When it has downloaded, select Start, search for Surface, then select the app from the list of results.

To know more about Privacy and security settings, refer to following articles:

The Windows Update section allows you to manage updates for your device, ensuring it stays secure and runs efficiently. You can check for updates, adjust update preferences, and manage advanced options, such as update pauses and delivery optimization.

  1. Open the Settings app and use Tab key to move the focus to System settings.
  2. Press Down arrow key until you hear "Windows Update," then press Enter.
  3. Use the Up or Down arrow keys to explore options for managing update settings and scheduling restarts.

For more information about Windows Update settings such as install Windows update, refer to the following articles:

See also

Keyboard shortcuts in Windows

Discover Windows accessibility features

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Settings in Windows

Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice

Your Microsoft account, your data, your choices

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