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title, description, ms.topic, ms.date, author, ms.author
| title | description | ms.topic | ms.date | author | ms.author |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configure the Settings Page Visibility in Windows | Learn how to configure the pages listed in the Windows Settings app. | how-to | 03/03/2025 | paolomatarazzo | paoloma |
Configure the Settings page visibility
Settings is a Windows application that offers a unified interface to manage the system settings. In certain scenarios, you might want to restrict access to specific Settings pages to ensure a more controlled and secure environment. This is especially beneficial for devices used in specific environments, such as kiosks or student devices, where limiting access to certain options can prevent unauthorized changes and maintain a consistent user experience.
:::image type="content" source="images/settings-page-visibility.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the Settings app configured with a policy setting to limit the categories displayed." border="false":::
This article explains how to configure the Settings app and how to implement the configurations using Microsoft Intune, Configuration Service Provider (CSP), and Group Policy Object (GPO).
Page visibility list policy setting
You can configure the visibility of Settings pages using the page visibility list policy setting. This policy allows you to block a given set of pages from the Settings app. Blocked pages aren't visible in the app and can't be accessed through direct navigation via Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), context menu in Explorer, or other means. Direct navigation to a blocked page results in the first page of Settings displayed instead.
The page visibility list policy has two modes:
- Show Specific Pages
- Start the policy string with
showonly: - Follow it with a list of Settings page identifiers, separated by semicolons
- Start the policy string with
- Hide Specific Pages
- Start the policy string with
hide: - Follow it with a list of Settings page identifiers, separated by semicolons
- Start the policy string with
Note
The identifier for any Settings page is the published URI for that page, minus the
ms-settings:protocol part. For the list of categories and page identifiers, see ms-settings: URI scheme reference.
Examples
Show only the About and Bluetooth pages. Their respective URIs are ms-settings:about and ms-settings:bluetooth:
showonly:about;bluetooth
Hide only the Bluetooth page, which has the URI ms-settings:bluetooth:
hide:bluetooth
Configuration
[!INCLUDE tab-intro]
:::image type="icon" source="../images/icons/intune.svg" border="false"::: Intune/CSP
[!INCLUDE intune-settings-catalog-1]
| Category | Setting name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | - Page Visibility List - Page Visibility List (User) |
List of URIs to show or hide, separated by semicolons. |
[!INCLUDE intune-settings-catalog-2]
Alternatively, you can configure devices using a custom policy with the Policy CSP.
| Setting |
|---|
- OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Settings/PageVisibilityList- Data type: string - Value: List of URIs to show or hide, separated by semicolons. Or - OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Settings/PageVisibilityList- Data type: string - Value: List of URIs to show or hide, separated by semicolons. |
:::image type="icon" source="../images/icons/group-policy.svg" border="false"::: GPO
[!INCLUDE gpo-settings-1]
| Group policy path | Group policy setting | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel Or User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel |
Settings Page Visibility | List of URIs to show or hide, separated by semicolons. |
[!INCLUDE gpo-settings-2]
User Experience
By controlling the visibility of Settings pages, you can create a customized user experience tailored to your organization's specific needs. Once the policy is applied, users have access only to the Settings pages you explicitly allow, ensuring a focused and streamlined interface.