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How To Customize The Action Center In Windows 11

Customizing the Action Center in Windows 11 allows you to tailor notifications and quick settings to your preferences, optimizing productivity and user experience. In this guide, I will cover everything you need to know about customizing the Action Center in Windows 11, including the step-by-step process, how to manage notifications, and the various settings you can adjust.

What Is the Action Center in Windows 11?

The Action Center in Windows 11 is an evolution of the notification and quick settings panel from previous Windows versions. It combines quick access settings (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and brightness) with notifications, which makes it easy to manage system alerts and perform basic tasks without needing to navigate through the settings app.

In Windows 11, the Action Center has undergone some design changes compared to Windows 10. The quick settings and notification panels are now separated, which streamlines their functionality. By clicking on the network, volume, or battery icon in the system tray, you access the quick settings panel, while notifications appear when you click on the date and time.

Why Customize the Action Center?

Customizing the Action Center can improve your efficiency and help you keep track of important alerts, while hiding those that may be distracting. You can configure it to include only the quick settings you frequently use and ensure you receive relevant notifications.

How To Access the Action Center in Windows 11

To customize the Action Center, you first need to know how to access it. Here's how:

1. Access Quick Settings:

 Click on the network, volume, or battery icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. This opens the Quick Settings panel. 

2. Access Notifications:

 Click on the date and time in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar to access the Notification Center.

Once you’re in the Action Center, you can start customizing it to suit your preferences.

Customizing Quick Settings in Windows 11

The Quick Settings panel is where you can toggle various system functions, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplane Mode, and adjust brightness and volume. You can add, remove, or rearrange the buttons for a more personalized setup. Follow these steps to customize your Quick Settings:

1. Open Quick Settings

Click the network, battery, or volume icon in the system tray on the taskbar.

2. Edit Quick Settings

In the Quick Settings panel, click the pencil icon (or “Edit Quick Settings”) in the bottom right corner of the panel.

 3. Add New Quick Settings

  • After entering edit mode, you’ll see a "+" button labeled Add. Click this to add more quick settings buttons to the panel.
  • Available options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, Night light, Mobile hotspot, Accessibility, and more.

4. Remove Unnecessary Quick Settings

To remove a button, click on the pin icon next to the setting you want to remove. This allows you to streamline the panel by only keeping the functions you use most frequently.  

5. Reorganize Quick Settings

You can drag and drop the quick settings buttons to rearrange their order, so the most important settings are easily accessible. 

6. Save Your Changes

After making your changes, click the Done button to save your new Quick Settings layout.

By customizing Quick Settings, you create a control panel that caters to your routine, allowing you to quickly toggle system features without digging through the Settings app.

Customizing Notifications in Windows 11

Notifications in Windows 11 are centralized in the Notification Center, allowing you to see alerts from apps, the system, and other services. By managing notifications, you can reduce distractions and ensure that you only receive alerts that matter.

1. Open Notification Center

Click on the date and time in the bottom-right corner of the screen to access the Notification Center.

2. View and Dismiss Notifications

The Notification Center displays a list of all recent notifications. You can dismiss individual notifications by clicking the X next to each one, or you can clear all notifications by clicking Clear All at the top.

3. Manage Notification Settings

To customize notification behavior, go to Settings:

  •  Open the Start menu and select Settings.
  •  Navigate to System > Notifications.

 

4. Turn Off Notifications for Specific Apps

  • In the Notifications section, you will see a list of apps that send notifications.
  • Toggle off the switch next to any app to stop it from sending notifications.

5. Customize Notifications for Individual Apps

  • For apps that you want to receive notifications from, click on the app name to open additional options.
  • You can adjust:
  •  Notification priority: Choose whether the app’s notifications should be top priority, normal priority, or hidden in the Notification Center.
  •   Alert style: Choose how the notification appears (banner, sounds, or both).
  •   Notification badges: Enable or disable notification badges on the taskbar for that app.

  6. Control Focus Assist

Focus Assist is a feature that allows you to limit notifications during specific times or activities (e.g., gaming or working). To adjust Focus Assist:

  •   Go to Settings > System > Focus Assist.
  •   Choose whether you want to allow notifications from priority apps only, alarms only, or block all notifications during certain times or activities.

  7. Schedule Quiet Hours

You can set up Quiet Hours to automatically silence notifications at certain times:

  •   In Focus Assist, scroll down to the Automatic Rules section.
  •   Set rules for when Focus Assist should turn on, such as during specific hours, when you’re duplicating your display, or while you’re gaming.

By adjusting these settings, you can take control of your notifications, ensuring that you’re only interrupted by important alerts.

Customizing the Notification Appearance

You can also change how notifications appear and behave on your screen for a more streamlined look:

1. Change Notification Style

  • In Settings > System > Notifications, you can adjust the style and location of notification pop-ups.
  •   Show notifications on lock screen: Toggle this option on or off based on whether you want to see notifications while your PC is locked.
  •   Show reminders and incoming calls on lock screen: Enable or disable this feature based on your preferences.
  •   Notification sounds: If you find notification sounds disruptive, you can toggle off sound for specific notifications or all notifications.

2. Adjust Notification Duration

By default, notification banners disappear after a few seconds, but you can extend this time.

  •   Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual Effects.
  •   Under Dismiss notifications after this amount of time, choose how long notification banners remain visible.

3. Turn Off Notifications Temporarily

If you need to turn off notifications temporarily without configuring Focus Assist, you can:

  •   Open Settings > System > Notifications.
  •   Toggle off Notifications to temporarily disable all notifications.

Other Advanced Action Center Customizations

Beyond quick settings and notifications, there are a few more advanced customizations for the Action Center:

1. Configure Notification Priorities 

You can prioritize which apps are allowed to interrupt you by configuring notification priorities:

  •   Go to Settings > System > Notifications.
  •   Click on any app and select Priority to choose the app’s notification importance (Top, Normal, or Low).

2. Customize Action Center Keyboard Shortcuts

  • You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly access parts of the Action Center:
  •   Windows + A: Opens Quick Settings.
  •   Windows + N: Opens the Notification Center.  

These shortcuts make it even faster to interact with the Action Center, particularly if you prefer to navigate using the keyboard.

Conclusion

Customizing the Action Center in Windows 11 can significantly improve how you interact with your system. By tweaking Quick Settings and notifications, you can reduce distractions, enhance focus, and ensure that the most important system functions are always accessible.

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