How to open and customize action center in Windows 11
Action Center has changed with almost every iteration of Windows. On Windows 7, it was accessed via Control Panel. On Windows 10, it was added as a panel that opened on the right side of the screen with helpful toggles. On Windows 11, it has changed again. The icon that appeared at the right end of the taskbar is gone and with it gone, there doesn’t appear to be a way to open Action Center.
Action Center in Windows 11
The Action Center has not been retired. It still exists and because Windows 11 is in its infancy, it appears to be missing a quick way to access Action Center. It has changed in terms of appearance i.e., it now only has toggles while notifications appear as toast notifications.
Open Action Center in Windows 11
There are two ways to open Action Center in Windows 11.
- Tap the Win+A keyboard shortcut and Action Center will open.
- Left-click the battery icon in the system tray and Action Center will open.
The second method only works on laptops.
Customize Action Center in Windows 11
Users can manage the toggle that appear in Action Center on Windows 11. The toggles that can be added are;
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- Airplane mode
- Battery Saver
- Focus Assist
- Accessibility
- Cast
- Keyboard Layout
- Mobile Hotspot
- Nearby Sharing
- Night light
- Project
- Rotation lock (for touch enabled devices)
- Brightness slider
- Volume slider.
To customize the Action Center toggles;
- Open Action Center with the Win+A keyboard shortcut.
- Click the edit icon (pencil icon).
- Click the close button on a toggle to remove it.
- Click the Add button and select a toggle from the list.
- The toggle will be added.
- Click Done to exit editing mode.
In addition to the listed toggles, the Action Center will tell you the current battery percentage if you’re on a laptop or tablet. It also has a gear button which, when clicked, will open the Settings app. Some toggles will open the Settings app. You can operate these toggles with dedicated keys on your keyboard.
Conclusion
The Action Center in Windows 10 was easier to access than it was on Windows 7. In Windows 11, Microsoft has separated the toggles from the notifications. The notifications appear to have their own panel where they compile and judging by the present design, it is unlikely to change. That said, there is plenty of time before the final version of Windows 11 is released and anything can change. For now, Microsoft is fixing bugs and adding smaller features.
