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Windows 10/11 Action Center: The Complete Guide

3 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Action Centeris one of many new features introduced inWindows 10. In case you’re not so familiar with this new addition, in this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know (well, maybe even more than you need) aboutAction Center.InWindows 10,Action Centeris basically the desktop version of Windows Phone 8.1’sAction Center. Addition ofAction Centeris actually part of Microsoft’s plan to makeWindows 10a ‘cross-platform operating system.’Action Centeris a notification hub that delivers system-related and app-related notifications inWindows 10, across multiple platforms.

TheAction Centerconsists of two parts: The notifications area which uses the most space of the interface, and the “quick actions” bar at the bottom.

In the notifications area, you’re able to receive various notifications, like the information about the latest installedupdate, or when someone follows you on Twitter, just like you do on your mobile device. There are three different ways to dismiss your pending notifications. You can dismiss each app individually, you can click on X next to app name, and all notifications related to this app will be dismissed, or you can click on Clear All in the upper right corner, and all notifications will be cleared. Since this is a ‘cross-platform’ feature, when you dismiss notifications on one device, they will also be dismissed on all other devices.

As for the quick actions bar, when you open theAction Centeryou’ll see four quick-access button on the bottom. But there’s also an Expand button which will show you all available quick-access icons. Once you click the Expand button, all quick-access icons will show up every time you open theAction Center, until you click on Collapse. These quick-access buttons are actually stuff like Tablet Mode toggle button, link to all settings, Location,Wi-Fi, etc. You can also choose ‘featured’ quick-access buttons, by going toSettings > System > Notifications & actions > Choose your quick actions.

Under Notifications & actions section of System settings you can also choose what types of notifications you want to receive in yourAction Center. You can choose whether you want to receive notifications like tips about Windows or app notifications. You can also choose if you wantAction Centerto show notifications, alarms, reminders and incoming VOIP calls on your lock screen. There’s also an option which will allow you to hide notifications while you presenting, so they won’t bother you when you are, for example, presenting your PowerPoint presentation.

UnderShow notifications from these apps, you can also choose which app notifications you’ll receive in your notifications bar. Click the app name to open the Advanced notifications settings for that app, and you can choose if you want to show the notification banners, and whether theAction Centerwill play sound when the notification arrives.

You can also manage your taskbar icons in the Notifications & actions section. You can choose which apps you want to appear in the taskbar, by clicking “Select which icons to appear in the task bar,” or by clicking “Turn system icons on or off.” .” In “Turn system icons on or off,” you can turn off or on the clock, input indicator or theAction Centeritself.

Maybe some users will need time to get used to this new feature in Windows 10, but it’s surely useful, and Microsoft probably did a good job by introducing it.

Read Also:Microsoft Reveals Retail Packages for Windows 10 Home and Pro Editions

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More about the topics:action center,windows 10

Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.

When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.

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Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Ivan has delved deep into understanding the Windows OS, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.