I found three hidden Windows 11 Settings changes worth checking out

• Windows 11 is getting separate Privacy and Security sections in the Settings app.
• The new Security section includes Device protection, Device encryption, and Virus & threat protection pages.
• App & browser protection is moving into the Apps settings section with controls for Smart App Control and Microsoft Defender SmartScreen.
• A new Reading assist feature under Accessibility offers customizable reading, voice, highlighting, and appearance settings.

Microsoft is preparing several changes to the Windows 11 Settings app, including a redesigned “Security” section, a new “App & browser protection” page, and a new “Reading assist” accessibility feature. The changes are appearing (hidden) in the Release Preview channel, giving users an early look at the company’s plans to reorganize system settings and make important protection options easier to find.

The updates introduce more than a few visual changes. Microsoft is separating security controls into their own section, moving app protection settings under the “Apps” section, and adding a dedicated configuration page for “Reading assist.”

Windows 11 is getting a dedicated Security section

One of the more interesting additions is the company reorganizing the security-related settings by introducing a dedicated “Security” section in the navigation pane while splitting the “Privacy” section.

The new page separates several protection categories into individual entries:

• Device protection: Provides access to hardware-based security features and device protection information.
• Device encryption: Shows the encryption status and provides access to related settings.
• Virus & threat protection: Provides access to Microsoft Defender Antivirus protection and related controls.

The “Device protection” page includes information about Secure Boot, Microsoft Pluton Security Processor, processor and firmware details, and the status of security capabilities such as Memory Integrity, Firmware protection, Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection, and the Microsoft vulnerable driver blocklist.

The page also includes an Advanced device protection settings section, where users can manage individual security features, including Firmware protection, Memory integrity, Kernel-mode hardware-enforced stack protection, and TPM-related information.

The Virus & threat protection page provides an overview of Microsoft Defender protection status, including real-time protection, cloud-delivered protection, tamper protection, and security intelligence updates.

Another notable change is that Microsoft is renaming the existing Privacy & security section to simply Privacy. This separates privacy controls from the newly introduced Security section and gives each category its own place in Settings.

App & browser protection moves under Apps

Windows 11 is also getting a dedicated “App & browser protection” page under Settings > Apps.

Previously, users accessed these controls through Windows Security. The new page brings several app security options into the main Settings experience.

The page includes settings for:

• Smart App Control: Allows users to manage the feature’s operating mode, including its evaluation, on, and off states.
• Microsoft Defender SmartScreen: Controls browser protection.
• Check apps and files: Helps protect against potentially unwanted or malicious apps and files.
• Microsoft vulnerable driver blocklist: Lets you manage the blocklist.
• Potentially unwanted app blocking: Includes separate options for blocking apps and downloads.
• SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps: Adds another layer of protection for Store apps.

The decision to make these controls available under “Apps” makes sense because they directly affect how Windows handles apps, downloads, and potentially unsafe content.

A new Reading assist feature is coming to Accessibility

In addition, Microsoft is also adding Reading assist, a new feature under Settings > Accessibility that provides a larger, clearer view of text and user interface elements under the mouse pointer.

The feature includes several configuration options to customize how it works, including the keyboard shortcut used to activate it, the activation method, and the delay before the system accepts another keystroke.

Users can also enable activation sounds and customize the output window. Options include reading speed, highlighting the text currently being read, choosing a voice, changing background and font colors, selecting a font, and adjusting font size and character spacing.

The settings suggest that Reading Assist is designed to make text and interface elements easier to read without requiring users to change the entire desktop’s appearance.

When will these changes arrive?

@PhantonOfEarth spotted the new Settings experiences, and they’re hidden in the update KB5132057 (build 26300.10066) available through the Release Preview channel. However, the software giant has not yet provided an official announcement detailing these specific changes or confirmed when they will become available to everyone.

As with other features tested through the Windows Insider Program, the company may continue refining the interfaces and available options before a broader rollout.

Pureinfotech’s Take

I like this direction because Windows 11 has accumulated too many security settings across different pages and apps. Bringing device protection, encryption, and threat protection together under a dedicated Security section should make these options easier to find.

Adding “App & browser protection” to Settings also makes sense, although I would like the company to keep the full Windows Security experience available rather than simply creating another layer of settings.

The “Reading assist” feature is another welcome addition, especially if it makes reading small text and interface elements easier without requiring users to change system-wide display settings.