As Microsoft’s Windows operating system comes with new features and updates, it is also gradually phasing out older components that no longer align with its modern vision. Among the latest features to be phased out is the Control Panel as the company shifts focus to more widely used and essential features.
Microsoft has been hinting at phasing out the Control Panel for over a decade, dating back to the early days of Windows 8. In 2011, a leaked screenshot of Windows 8 suggested that Microsoft intended to replace the traditional Control Panel with a new, touch-friendly “PC settings” option. Despite these early indications, the Control Panel has continued to coexist with the newer Settings app.
In 2015, rumors surfaced that the Control Panel’s days were numbered when a senior Microsoft official stated that “Settings will eventually supersede Control Panel.” However, the Control Panel persisted, as not all functionalities had been fully transferred to the new Settings app.
Although nearly a decade has passed since that statement, Microsoft had not officially confirmed the Control Panel’s deprecation—until recently. On a new support page discussing native Windows configuration tools, Microsoft finally announced that the Control Panel is “in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app.” This statement marks the first official acknowledgment from the company that the Control Panel is on its way out.
The support page also provides insight into why the Control Panel has lingered for so long, despite Microsoft’s desire to move away from it. According to the company, the Control Panel still exists primarily for compatibility reasons and to provide access to certain settings that have not yet been migrated to the Settings app.
“While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you’re encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible,” Microsoft advises users.
The Control Panel’s journey began in 1985 with the release of Windows 1.0, and it has remained a central hub for configuring system settings for nearly four decades. However, as Microsoft pushes towards a more modern and streamlined user experience, the Settings app has increasingly taken center stage.
