Windows 11 Settings Redesign: What Moved and Where to Find It

A familiar control seems to disappear in Windows 11 Settings, and that’s frustrating. Start at Settings > System > About to check your version and build, then use the map below to find the page you need.

What Is the Windows 11 Settings App Redesign?

“Redesign” covers several Settings changes, not one new layout on every PC. Microsoft has confirmed changes to device details in System > About, and described a refined Device info card on Settings Home that was rolling out to U.S. Windows Insiders, not to every Windows 11 PC.

Windows 11 version 26H2 is the 2026 annual feature update. Microsoft delivers it as a small enablement package for PCs on versions 24H2 and 25H2. Microsoft’s Windows 11 version 26H2 documentation (updated September 29, 2026) lists Start size and section controls, more taskbar positions, and clearer search result labels among the features added since 25H2. Many of these arrive through monthly updates and can show up before a PC moves to 26H2. Some also roll out gradually, so not every PC gets every item at the same time.

Microsoft’s Insider announcement covers the Device info card and About page changes as an Insider rollout, not as part of the 26H2 release itself. So two Windows 11 PCs may still show different pages.

On PCs with the newer Device info card, Settings Home shows a brief hardware summary and a link to About. If you don’t see it, open Settings > System > About instead.

Why This Matters

Someone may need their processor name before an SSD upgrade. A support helper may need the Windows build to check a USB Wi-Fi adapter issue. The revised About page puts key hardware details near the top. It groups more graphics and storage details under Device information. It also shows the version and build you need when instructions don’t match your PC. Microsoft documented these changes in its February 2026 Insider post.

Key Features and Where the Controls Are

The map separates Microsoft-confirmed changes from reported controls that depend on the build. The other rows point to familiar Settings pages. Labels may vary, so try Settings search if your screen differs.

Device Info and a Clearer About Page

Microsoft’s February 2026 Insider announcement gives the clearest details about device information. At that time, it described the Home card as an Insider rollout for U.S. users rather than a universal change, and availability may have expanded since. Where available, the Home card shows a short summary. System > About has fuller hardware details, plus your Windows version and build. Those details help when you’re talking to support or checking whether an SSD upgrade makes sense for a PC.

The card and About page may differ between PCs. Microsoft described an Insider rollout, and managed work or school devices may show a different card. Start with About when comparing machines.

Start, Taskbar, and Search Controls

According to Microsoft’s Windows 11 version 26H2 documentation, the redesigned Start menu lets you choose a Start menu size and show or hide the Pinned, Recent, and All sections independently. Some builds and Microsoft posts call the Recent section Recommended, since Microsoft is renaming it.

Find these under Settings > Personalization > Start. Microsoft’s May 2026 taskbar and Start post puts taskbar position under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors, alongside taskbar alignment, with Show smaller taskbar buttons in the same place. When Microsoft introduced the alternate positions, it noted that the top, left, and right positions show the search box as a search icon, that auto-hide and the tablet-optimized taskbar weren’t supported there yet, and that touch gestures for those positions were still in progress.

The position option first rolled out to Windows Insiders over several weeks, so it may still be reaching some PCs. If you don’t see Taskbar position, your PC likely hasn’t received it yet, and a side or top taskbar may not behave exactly like the bottom one.

For search, Microsoft documents clearer labels on results (web result, Microsoft Store suggestion, and so on), and indexing settings under Settings > Privacy & security > Search. If a control is missing, your PC may not have the update that delivers it yet.

These Settings options are separate from the Windows Search redesign. A screenshot of the Search panel doesn’t confirm that a Settings switch is available.

Apps, Devices, Display, and Updates

Everyday tasks still have places to start. Check Installed apps to manage a program, Touchpad for available gestures, and Printers & scanners for a printer. Night light is under display options. Active hours is under Windows Update. The map gives you a page to try without assuming that every page has changed.

Who Should Use This Map?

Use it when you know the task but can’t find the control. You might be changing a Start option, checking a printer, or setting Night light. It also helps when you support someone remotely. Ask for the version and build in System > About before assuming their pages match yours.

If you support several office PCs, note whether each runs a normal release or an Insider build. A preview control may be absent on another PC, even after it installs its available updates.

How the Changes Reach Your PC

Windows 11 gets an annual version update, and features can also arrive through monthly servicing. Microsoft may roll out a feature in stages. Insider previews can show changes before other PCs get them. So “Windows 11 Settings app redesign” doesn’t name one update that adds every control. Microsoft’s version 26H2 documentation explains this update schedule.

It’s sensible to check Settings > Windows Update, but an update doesn’t guarantee every reported control. Your version, build, release channel, and the feature’s rollout all matter. If an option is missing, check which build the directions cover.

Some Settings pages open older Windows dialogs. If Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Additional mouse settings opens Mouse Properties, continue there. The older look alone doesn’t mean Settings failed.

Getting Started

Settings is already part of Windows 11. Use these steps to find your way around:

• Open Settings and check Home. If Device info appears, use it for a quick hardware summary.

• Open Settings > System > About. Note your Windows version and OS build.

• Match your task to the map above. For a program, try Settings > Apps > Installed apps. For a printer, try Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.

• If a Start or taskbar control is missing, check that your PC is on Windows 11 version 26H2 or has the latest monthly update. Insider-only features such as the Device info card may still be absent.

• Check Settings > Windows Update for updates offered to your PC. A staged or Insider-only control may still be unavailable.

Pricing and Availability

There’s no separate Settings app purchase; it’s built into Windows 11, and these changes arrive free through Windows Update. When each one shows up depends on your build and the feature’s rollout.

Alternatives When Settings Does Not Have the Control

Settings search is the quickest route when a page name has shifted. Search for a task such as “touchpad” or “active hours” inside Settings. Control Panel still matters when Settings opens an older dialog. Device Manager helps you inspect hardware, but System > About is a better first stop for a brief device and Windows build summary.

These routes can’t show a switch Microsoft hasn’t enabled on your build. If you can’t find a control shown in a screenshot, check which build the screenshot shows.

Wrapping Up

Start with Settings > System > About, then use the map to find your task. The Start and taskbar controls are documented for 26H2, while the Device info card started as an Insider feature, so the two may reach your PC at different times.