How to Get the Most Out of Windows Action Center

If you use Windows On a daily basis, mastering the Action Center saves you time, clicks, and distractions.. This tray gathers notifications from the system and your apps, plus quick access to enable or disable key features without opening Settings. Here you'll learn how to get the most out of it. Windows 11 and Windows 10, to adjust its behavior, to silence it when you tap, and even to understand the Microsoft Defender XDR Unified Action Center for security teams.

We'll also take a look at design ideas that could take it a step further and, for the more technically inclined, review how Toast-type notifications and their history are managed.. All with clear instructions, practical advice and without omitting important details: access, keyboard shortcuts, quick action editing, sender control, advanced options, and permissions required in corporate environments.

What is the Action Center and how to open it in Windows 11 and Windows 10?

In Windows 11, The Action Center is divided into two areas: Quick Settings and Notification CenterThe first groups quick buttons/settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplane Mode; the second displays system and app notifications, as well as the calendar.

To open Quick Settings in Windows 11, Click the Battery, Network, or Volume icons on the far right of the taskbarYou can also use the keyboard shortcut Windows + A to display it immediately without touching the mouse.

To view the Notification Center in Windows 11, Click on the Date and Time (clock) section of the taskbarIf you prefer a shortcut, Windows + N directly opens the panel with your most recent notifications and calendar.

In Windows 10, everything is unified in a single panel that you access with the speech bubble icon (Action Center) located to the right of the taskbar.The Windows + A keyboard shortcut also opens it, and from there you can display more buttons with the “Expand” option.

The visual rule is simple: when a quick action button appears in blue, it means that function is activated.This immediate feedback helps you confirm at a glance whether you have, for example, Bluetooth turned on or Night Mode enabled.

Quick actions: activate, add, remove, and rearrange

Quick Actions are the switches you use most to manage your PC without opening Settings.You can customize them to fit your daily workflow, whether you're using Windows 11 or Windows 10.

In Windows 11, open Quick Settings and tap the Edit (pencil) icon to change which actions appear.From there, you can add, remove, or rearrange buttons to your liking, prioritizing the ones you use most.

To add quick actions in Windows 11, use “+ Add” and choose from the available ones.If you see “+ Add” grayed out, it means there are no more items available to add at that time.

To delete a quick action in Windows 11, tap the delete icon in the top corner of each button while in edit mode.This way, you keep your dashboard clean and focused on what really adds value.

To reorder quick actions in Windows 11, drag and drop them into the order you prefer.This gesture lets you prioritize things like Wi-Fi, Hotspot, Battery Saver, or Focus Isolation based on your routine.

Manage notifications: global, by sender, and access

The Notification Center concentrates notifications from the system, apps, and connected services.Controlling it allows you to avoid the noise and focus on what's important, with general rules or rules for each sender.

In Windows 11, type “Notification & action settings” in Windows search and open the result.From the Notifications section, you can turn all alerts on or off, as well as decide how and where they're displayed.

To fine-tune by apps in Windows 11, go to “Notifications from apps and other senders.”. Turn each sender on or off individually to adjust the level of interruptions to your liking.

In Windows 10, the path is similar: search for “Notification & action settings” and enterIn the Notifications section, you can control general behavior, and in "Get notifications from these senders," you can enable or disable each app.

Quick access in Windows 11: Press Windows + N or click Date & Time to see your reminders with the calendar. Quick access in Windows 10: Action Center icon or Windows + A to open notifications next to quick buttons.

Editing from the panel itself: changes on the fly

In addition to Settings, you can adjust the panel directly.It's faster and prevents you from losing track of what you were doing.

In Windows 11, go to Quick Settings, tap Edit, and make hot changes.. Add, remove, and reposition buttons without closing apps or leaving your flow.

In Windows 10, open the Action Center, right-click and select Edit to modify the contents. Take the opportunity to expand “Expand” and decide what remains visible without having to open the entire panel.

Remember: Blue buttons indicate that the function is activated.If a stock doesn't react as you expect, check its visual status before panicking.

Mute or disable Action Center (Windows 10)

If notifications are overwhelming you, you can reduce them or even hide the Action Center in Windows 10.You have two options: disable its icon or block it from the registry so it can't be easily enabled.

Simple option: hide the Action Center icon. Go to Settings > System > Notifications & actions, select “Turn system icons on or off,” and uncheck the Action Center option so it doesn’t appear in the bar.

Advanced option: disable via registry more forcefully. Open the editor with “regedit”, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer and create a DWORD (32-bit) value called DisableNotificationCenter with a value of 1.

Important: Touching the record carries risks and you should be careful.To revert the change, edit the value to 0 or delete the key, and restart your computer to apply the settings.

In most cases, adjusting notifications by sender and clearing quick actions will be enough.. Record locking is only useful if you want a stricter policy that prevents accidental re-enablement.

Unified Action Center in Microsoft Defender XDR

In professional environments, “Action Center” also refers to the Microsoft Defender XDR Action Center.It's a single view of pending and completed remediation actions across devices, email and collaborative content, and identities.

The unified Action Center brings together the activities of Defender for Endpoint and Defender for Office 365It defines a common language of action, facilitates investigations, and provides the "single pane of glass" so desired by security operations teams.

How to get there: Sign in to the Microsoft Defender portal and go to > Action CenterAlternatively, on the Automated Investigation and Response card on the home page, select “View pending actions.”

Tabbed content: “Pending Actions” and “History”Under Pending, you'll see actions that require approval: you can approve or reject one at a time, or in batches if they're of the same type (for example, "quarantine file").