PowerToys is getting a big Dashboard redesign

PowerToys currently has 28 utilities to enhance your user experience (the latest addition arrived in April). You can check out the list of all modules and quickly toggle them on or off on the dedicated Dashboard page that greets you each time you open PowerToys.

However, with the increasing list of tools and their vast customizability, many may feel that the Dashboard is a bit undercooked and lacks more polish and useful features. If you think so, Microsoft has some good news for you.

In a new PR on PowerToys' GitHub, Microsoft engineers agree that the Dashboard needs improvements, even though it worked fine in earlier days with fewer modules. The proposed solution for the overcrowded Dashboard is a redesigned variant, which looks more similar to the Windows 11 Settings app.

With the suggested variant, you get much more from Dashboard: a quick link to the latest changelog, various warnings that need your attention (like conflicting shortcuts), an update button, Quick Launcher, shortcuts for your modules, and a list of available tools. A search box for modules and settings is also there to help you find stuff that you need.

Here is how Niels Laute, a software engineer working on WinUI and PowerToys, describes the proposed redesign:

The idea is to align more with the Windows 11 Settings design and make things easier to scan at a glance:

• A full list of modules with toggle switches to turn them on/off (each one deep links to its settings page).
• A central list of all shortcuts, so it's easier to find and remember them.
• Quick-launch buttons for modules that can be launched directly, right at the top for easy access.

Since PowerToys is an open-source project, other developers are welcome to contribute their ideas. One of those ideas is implementing SplitView so that you can open each module's settings without leaving the Dashboard page.

Unfortunately, there is no information on when Microsoft will ship the redesigned Dashboard. While we wait for the June 2025 update, check out these three useful plugins for PowerToys Run.

What other changes would you like Microsoft to add to PowerToys? Share your thoughts in the comments.