Windows 11 is heading for one of the biggest design upgrades in its history, with Print Management, the Properties Sheet in File Explorer, and even the Windows 8-era AutoPlay dialog getting a WinUI revamp. But what happens to Control Panel? Right now, we’re not seeing any signs of its removal, and it may not happen anytime soon, for good reasons.
According to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, the company still wants to move all the remaining Control Panel features to Windows Settings, including those old legacy dialogs that most people don’t use. However, Control Panel is here to stay until the company figures out what to do with decades-old dialogs.
Microsoft does not plan to simply redirect Control Panel to Windows Settings, but it’ll give you fewer reasons to open legacy features, and their low usage could one day justify Control Panel’s removal.
Windows 11 still needs Control Panel because usability comes first, design later
As much as I used to open Control Panel on Windows 10, I don’t do that on Windows 11 anymore. Most of the features, such as removing a Windows Update, adding Bluetooth devices, or managing the Wi-Fi adapter, are now in Windows Settings. Microsoft also moved advanced mouse controls to Settings, giving you another reason not to use Control Panel.
But as an old-school user, I sometimes still use Bluetooth to send and receive files, and as you might have already noticed, it still sends you to a Control Panel-era dialog:
The same thing happens when you try to add a new printer manually from Windows Settings. You’re still sent to the Control Panel.
I’m told that most of these dialogs are on Microsoft’s list of “revamps,” so you can expect more native experiences in the coming months. But that wouldn’t kill off Control Panel because Microsoft can’t afford to break integrations with legacy features that millions of enterprises rely on.
Microsoft’s head of design previously . “We’re doing it carefully because there are a lot of different network and printer devices & drivers we need to make sure we don’t break in the process.”
Modernization of Windows 11 continues in full swing
We’re already seeing some progress in preview builds, but there are no signs of Control Panel removal. Here’s a list of “modern” Windows 11 features that should begin rolling out in the coming months.
1. Modern Windows Run Dialog
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