When Quick Settings is enabled, users can open the Quick Settings panel and access several settings such as Accessibility, Wi-Fi, Battery saver, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and other available features. But, for some reason, such as if you never use Quick Settings if you want to disable Quick Settings, this gearupwindows article will guide you.
Once you disable this, the Quick Settings panel will not open anymore. Hotkey (Windows + A) will stop working, and also, when you click on the system tray icons (battery, volume, or Wi-Fi), nothing will happen.
There are at least two methods using which you can enable or disable the Quick Settings in Windows 11; you can either use Group Policy Editor or tweak the Registry. We will review both of them, and you can use either.
How to Enable or Disable Windows 11 Quick Settings using Group Policy Editor?
To turn on or off Quick Settings in Windows 11 using Group Policy, do these steps:-
Step 1. First, open Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path in the left side pane:-
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
Step 3. On the right side of the “Start Menu and Taskbar” folder, double-click on the policy name “Remove Quick Settings.”
Step 4. Select the Enabled option.
Step 5. Click Apply.
Step 6. Click OK.
Step 7. At last, reboot your computer to apply the changes.
In the future, if you want to enable the Quick Settings in Windows 11, repeat the above steps, and in step 4 above, select the Not Configured option.
How to Turn On or Off Windows 11 Quick Settings through Registry Editor?
To enable or disable Quick Settings in Windows 11 by tweaking the Registry, use these steps:-
Step 1. Open Registry Editor.
Step 2. Then, browse to the following key in the left sidebar of Registry Editor:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
Step 3. Now, right-click on the Windows folder and select New > Key.
Quick Note: Skip steps 3 & 4 if the Explorer key is already present under Windows.
Step 4. Name the newly created key Explorer.
Step 5. Now, right-click on the Explorer key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Step 6. Name the newly created REG_DWORD as DisableControlCenter.
Step 7. Double-click on the DisableControlCenter REG_DWORD and set its “Value data” to 1.
Step 8. Click OK.
Step 9. Finally, restart your computer to apply the changes.
Once you complete the above steps, Quick Settings in Windows 11 will be disabled, and you can not use them anymore.
To enable Quick Settings, navigate to the following folder on the left side of Registry Editor:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
On the right side of the Explorer key, right-click on the DisableControlCenter REG_DWORD and select Delete in the menu. When prompted, click the Yes button. Finally, reboot your PC to apply the changes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Quick Settings in Windows 11 provides users with easy access to frequently used settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and battery saver. However, if you never use Quick Settings or want to disable it for some other reason, you can do so using Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor. By following the steps mentioned in this article, you can easily disable Quick Settings, which will prevent the Quick Settings panel from opening and stop the Windows + A hotkey from working. Re-enabling Quick Settings is also straightforward, and users can choose between the two methods depending on their preference.
