Settings

Settings (known as PC settings in Windows 8 and 8.1) is an application first introduced in Windows 8 and is the successor to the Control Panel. Although the latter is still present and usable, many resources redirect to specific areas of the Settings application. It is the main application used for applying changes to the computer on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It was originally intended as an alternative user interface for the Control Panel on Windows 8.

History
The Settings app was intially introduced in Windows 8 build 7899 as ImmersiveSettings and in later builds, it gained more functionality as development progressed. ImmersiveSettings would be renamed to Immersive Control Panel before being renamed to PC Settings.

In Windows 10, a new design was introduced for the app and it was renamed to simply Settings. At this point, Microsoft began to permanently shift most settings from the Control Panel to the Settings app. Later updates would continue to shift many Control Panel applets to Settings alongside with adding new settings to the app.

In Windows 11, the app received a major UI overhaul to align with the design principles of the OS. It also added many new settings to the app and also continues the trend of shifting settings from the Control Panel to the app.