Summary

  • Microsoft is moving more mouse settings (like pointer trails and hide while typing) from the Control Panel to the Settings app in Windows 11 Dev and Beta builds.
  • The new options are hidden by default, and users need to use ViveTool to enable feature ID 54273186.
  • This signals continued Control Panel migration, hinting that these changes could arrive in a future stable Windows 11 update.

Last year, a Microsoft support document revealed the company's commitment to phasing out the Control Panel in order to fully replace it with the more modern Settings app. However, Microsoft was quick to update its support article by removing the string of text that suggested that the Control Panel was being deprecated in favor of the Settings app. While Microsoft has kept uncertainty over the ultimate fate of the Control Panel alive, the software has continued the migration of important tools to the Settings app.

The company's migration effort is on full display in the latest Windows 11 Dev (26200.5516) and Beta (26120.3653) Insider Preview builds, as Microsoft seems to have started preparing to move more mouse settings from the Control Panel to the Settings app.

Windows 11 gets more mouse tools in the Settings app

You no longer need to visit the Control Panel or click the Control Panel dialogue in Accessibility settings to access some of the important mouse options like pointed image customization, mouse pointer trails, hide while typing, and more. If you're running the latest Dev or Beta Channel build, you can customize those from the Accessibility page in the Settings app. This is a strong enough hint that Microsoft has plans to introduce these changes in the stable version of Windows 11 in the future.

It's not the first time we're seeing these mouse options in the Settings app, though. In fact, Microsoft included almost the same set of mouse options in the Settings in the Windows Server Preview Build 26376 last month. However, this time, it's also available for consumers. Just like previously, famed Windows tinkerer first spotted the feature in the latest Windows 11 Dev and Beta builds and also offered ways to enable them in the Settings.

How to bring more mouse options to the Settings app

The new mouse options aren't available by default even if you're running the latest Windows Dev or Beta Channel builds, because they're hidden. And just like in the case of almost every other hidden feature in Windows 11 Insiders builds, you'll need to learn to use ViveTool to enable them. If you're well aware of the steps, all that's required of you is to activate id:54273186. Remember, you'll need to restart your PC for the changes to take effect.