By
Delia
/ Last
update
March 2, 2022
Although the interface of Windows 11 has been redesigned to be more in line with the modern visual appearance, there are still many details that make Windows 11 significantly different from other modern systems. For example, when it comes to managing peripherals, you can't even quickly select a particular Bluetooth device to connect to, instead, after clicking on the Bluetooth icon in the taskbar, you still need to jump to the settings panel to manage Bluetooth. Now, things seem to have changed.
Bluetooth has always been a sticking point for Windows, and its interface is often a bit clunky, especially when you're switching between a bunch of Bluetooth devices. Back in Windows 10, Microsoft started making major improvements to Bluetooth usability, although it took time to achieve faster and easier pairing and add AAC support.
And while Windows 11 comes with a "Quick Settings" panel where we can change a lot of settings, such as selecting WiFi connections and so on, the current Quick Settings doesn't support Bluetooth device management, which makes Bluetooth connectivity quite cumbersome.
Windows 11 Build 22563 introduces quick settings for Bluetooth connectivity
In a recent Windows Insider blog post, many changes to Windows 11 were announced, including an improved Bluetooth experience. Starting with Insider Preview Build 22563, users can manage a Bluetooth headset or keyboard, check battery life, connect or disconnect Bluetooth devices through a simple interface by simply clicking an icon in the system tray. All of these features were actually available before, but required navigating multiple menus and delving into the control panel.
It's hard to say if the interface and usability improvements will fix other Bluetooth connectivity issues, but both the management and troubleshooting should become easier.
Build 22563 also includes other improvements such as a better taskbar for tablets, new Group Policy management for Windows Update notifications, OneDrive integration for File Explorer, new emoji, and many small bug fixes, etc.
These may seem like small improvements, but if successfully implemented, they would be quite an enhancement to our daily operating experience. However, we know that the Dev channel is more of a testing ground for new Windows 11 features right now, and it's hard to guarantee if this Bluetooth toggle will actually roll out, or how soon. We can wait and see.