Bluetooth Quick Settings in Windows 11 Dev Channel

Windows 11 has gained some notable features over the past few Dev Channel releases, which is why we're reviving our Closer Look series that discusses the operating system's features in more detail.

So far, we have discussed the Start Menu, Task Manager, Snapshot Layout, File Explorer, and Application Folders in Focus. Today, we’re going to talk about some of Microsoft’s nifty enhancements to quickly connect to Bluetooth in Quick Settings. These changes are actually late additions to build 22563 released a week ago, but they naturally appear in the latest Dev Channel build 22567 as well.

In short, Microsoft is enabling Windows 11 users to manage their Bluetooth settings and devices directly from the taskbar. You can click the system icon tray in the taskbar to launch the Quick Settings menu, then click the caret icon next to Bluetooth to open a dedicated menu.

Opening this menu causes Windows 11 to automatically search for nearby devices. You can then click on the individual device names to pair with them. Once paired with a peripheral, you can also view its remaining battery capacity. Likewise, you can click on it to expand the menu and disconnect it. Click the "More Bluetooth Settings" hyperlink at the bottom to open a dedicated section in the Settings app, as shown below.

Here you can view more details about your connected devices and the Bluetooth configuration and management features provided by Windows 11.

Overall, it was a very seamless experience and I have no complaints about it. I feel like this is very important for people who frequently connect and disconnect multiple Bluetooth devices to their Windows 11 machine.

In Windows 10, you are forced to open the Settings app and manage your Bluetooth devices there. It makes perfect sense to provide quick access to some necessary Bluetooth settings directly in the taskbar, and also allow users to view more details in the Settings app if they choose. It's actually very similar to the mobile layout, for example, Android offers a set of quick settings directly in the notification shade. I have no complaints about this approach.

I know this is a relatively minor feature and people using wired peripherals probably won't even care about it. However, I do feel that it has an audience, and it's really the little features that help provide an overall good experience, especially on the software side.

That said, it’s important to note that Windows 11 Dev Channel features are not tied to a specific version of the operating system. There's also no guarantee they'll see the light of day in general availability (GA). However, I see no reason why Microsoft shouldn’t bring this feature to the GA version of Windows 11 as soon as possible.

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