How to hide specific Settings pages on Windows 11
If you want to restrict access to certain pages from the Settings app, in this guide, we’ll show you how on Windows 11.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
OnWindows 11, the Settings app is quickly becoming a complete experience to customize the desktop and manage system settings. The only caveat is that since anyone can make system changes in the app, it can lead to potential misconfigurations.
Although you could block access to the Settings app, Windows 11 includes multiple ways to hide pages in the app to prevent users from making specific system changes. In addition, you can also use the option to hide settings you may never use. For example, you could hide the “Your Microsoft account” page if you don’t have a Microsoft 365 subscription or the “Device usage” page if you’re not interested in telling Windows how to personalize ads, tips, and recommendations. Or you could show only the pages you want to appear in the Settings app while hiding all the rest.
Whatever the case might be, it’s possible to hide one or more pages from the Settings app using the Group Policy Editor or Registry.
In this Windows 11 guide, we will walk you through the steps to restrict user access (or hide unnecessary pages) to particular pages inside the Settings app.
How to hide pages from Settings on Windows 11
To hide pages from the Settings app on Windows 11, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, reopen the Settings app to apply the changes.
Using this process, you can only modify the visibility of pages. You cannot hide or show only an entire section (for example, “System” or “Bluetooth & internet”). However, you can create a rule that includes all the pages of a section to hide it.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
If you want to revert the changes, you can use the same instructions mentioned above, but onstep 5, make sure to select theNot Configuredoption.
How to hide specific Settings pages using Registry
Alternatively, if you don’t have access to the Group Policy Editor, you can also hide pages from the Settings app using the Registry.
Warning:This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky and can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don’t do it correctly. Before proceeding, it’s recommended to make afull backup of your PC.
To prevent the Settings app from showing specific pages with the Registry, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the next time you open the Settings app, only the pages that were not blocked will be visible to the user.
If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions outlined above, but onstep 4, make sure to right-click and delete theSettingsPageVisibilitystring value.
Windows 11 Settings app page names
Here is a list of the system names for the page inside the Settings app:
Accounts
Apps
Devices
Gaming
Network & internet
Personalization
Privacy
System
Time and language
Update and security
Search
You can also check thisMicrosoft documentation pageto find the most up-to-date list of Settings app page reference URIs for Windows 11 and Windows 10.
More Windows resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
