If you use a Windows 10 laptop, you would have noticed the Action Center icon on the taskbar. Do you know what this Action Center actually is? Do you know how you can scalably improve its productivity? This comprehensive guide will tell you all there is to know about Windows Action Center.
Here, you will also learn about how to launch, use, and even customize Windows Action Center as per your requirements. Everything from the basic to advanced functions would be covered in this guide. With the help of this guide, a novice as well as an expert Windows user can make the most of Action Center to streamline their workflow. Read on to know in depth about Windows Action Center to improve your productivity.
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What is Windows Action Centre?
Windows Action Center is an essential tool that gives quick access to all the useful system settings and notifications. It is basically like a notification hub that delivers app and system-related notifications across numerous platforms. It majorly provides a way to quickly make changes and access notifications.
How to open the Action Center?
There are many ways in which you can open the Action Center, a few of them are given below.
- You can launch the Action Center by using the keyboard shortcut: Windows key + A.
- You can even open the Action Center from the taskbar in Windows 10. The Action Center icon on the taskbar looks like a speech bubble and is located at the bottom right corner.
- In Windows 11, you can click on the icon beside the clock to open the Action Center.
- If you are using a touchscreen device, swipe in from the right edge of the screen to launch Action Center.
To close the Action Center, you can click at any point outside the Action Center window.
What are the Default Quick Actions in the Action Center?
The sidebar in the Action Center provides access to frequently used functions called ‘Quick Actions’. Here are a few default quick actions that you can see on a Windows 10 as well as a Windows 11 system.
Windows 10:
- Airplane Mode: To enable or disable all connectivity, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
- All Settings: To access all settings.
- Battery Saver: To enable or disable the Battery Saver mode.
- Bluetooth: Manage Bluetooth-enabled devices.
- Brightness: Adjust the brightness of your system’s screen.
- Connect: Establish a connection with a Bluetooth-enabled device.
- Location: Toggle the Location Services on or off.
- Network: Look for or view your system’s current and nearby network connections.
- Note: Create any note using Microsoft One Note.
- Project: Project your system’s screen to another monitor.
- Quiet Hours: Temporarily avoid unwanted distractions by disabling notifications.
- Rotation Lock: When using a tablet, lock the current display in either portrait or landscape view.
- Tablet Mode: Switch between tablet and desktop mode.
- VPN: Establish a connection to a Virtual Private Network, or VPN.
- Wi-Fi: Turn the Wi-Fi on and off.
Windows 11:
- Wi-Fi: Turn the Wi-Fi on and off.
- Bluetooth: Manage Bluetooth-enabled devices.
- Airplane Mode: To enable or disable all connectivity, including Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.
- Battery Saver: To enable or disable the Battery Saver mode.
- Night Light: Turn on or off for eye protection.
- Accessibility: For managing advanced features.
- Brightness: Adjust the brightness of your system’s screen.
- Sound: Adjust the sound level.
- Settings Icon: To open and manage settings.
- Edit Icon: To edit ‘Quick Action’ settings.
Customizing the Action Center
The layout of the Action Center can be customized in the following way to suit an individual’s needs.
Windows 10:
- Go to ‘All Settings’ in the Action Center.
- From there, click on ‘System’ and then on ‘Notifications & Actions’.
- Select ‘Add or remove quick actions’.
- Toggle the switch in front of an app ON to add it and OFF to remove it.
Windows 11:
- In the Action Center, select the ‘Edit’ icon, which looks like a pencil.
- Alternatively, you can right-click on anywhere in the Action Center and select ‘Edit Quick Settings’.
- Then click on the ‘Add’
- Click on the ‘Pin’ icon and remove it.
View and dismiss a notification
The Action Center on your Windows system displays all the important notifications. However, at times there can be one too many notifications. To view and dismiss any notification on the Action Center, you can follow the steps given below.
Windows 10:
- Launch the Action Center.
- Click on the notification that you wish to view.
- The app to which the notification belongs to opens.
- You can delete the notification by clicking on the Cross (X).
- To remove all the notifications at once, click on ‘Clear all notifications’.
Windows 11:
- From the taskbar, click on ‘Time and Date’.
- Click on the notification you wish to view.
- The app to which the notification belongs to opens.
- You can delete the notification by clicking on the Cross (X).
- To remove all the notifications at once, click on ‘Clear all notifications’.
Rearrange Quick Actions
Quick Actions are basically shortcuts of certain functions that are available in the Action Center. They help the user to quickly access a particular feature without having to undergo a lengthy navigation process. You can rearrange these quick actions in the following way.
Windows 10:
- In the Action Center, click on ‘All Settings’.
- Go to ‘System’ and then click on ‘Notifications & Actions’.
- Click on a quick action you want and drag it under ‘Quick Actions’.
Windows 11:
- In the Action Center, select ‘Edit’ Icon, which looks like a pencil.
- Click on a quick action you want and drag it under ‘Quick Actions’.
Set Priorities for Notifications
It can get really annoying when multiple notifications get displayed in the Action Center. To avoid this, you can set priorities for notifications in the following way.
Windows 10:
- In the Action Center, click on ‘All Settings’.
- Go to ‘System’ and then click on ‘Notifications & Actions’.
- Select an app under ‘Get notifications from these senders’.
- Select any of the below 3 options to set a priority of notification in the action center
Top: The notification will appear at the top.
High: The notification will appear above normal priority notifications.
Normal: The notification will appear below high priority notifications.
Windows 11:
- In the Action Center, go to ‘Settings’.
- From the menu on the left side, click on ‘System’.
- Click on a notification from the list.
- Select an app under ‘Notifications from apps and other senders’.
- Set a priority of notifications from the notification center.
Use Action Guide: For 10&11Windows-FAQs
A. The Windows Action Center is a centralized place where every important system and app notification is consolidated. It also gives quick access to every crucial system setting.
A. The Windows Action Center displays different types of notifications, which include security alerts, updates, maintenance reminders, and other messages related to the system.
A. Yes, you can easily prioritize notifications in the Action Center by making changes in the settings of ‘Notifications & Actions’. You can choose certain important notifications to be shown at the top.
A. To customize Quick Actions in the Action Center,
*Go to ‘System’ from ‘Settings’.
*Then select ‘Notifications & Actions’.
*Click on ‘Edit your quick actions’ and then choose and arrange your preferred shortcuts.
A. Quick Actions in the Action Center are shortcuts of certain system settings that are frequently used. These include settings like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Airplane Mode, among others. These shortcuts can be customized according to your preference.
Conclusion
Action Center is one of the many useful features that has been recently introduced in the Windows 10 systems. Since it is fairly new, not many Windows users are well-versed with its functionality. This guide gives a perfect outlook on Windows Action Center and its uses. To access any notification, delete it, or prioritize it, you can use the steps given above. With the help of this guide, you can even access the frequently used system settings through the quick actions section.
