The Apps & Features panel is the Settings equivalent of the Programs and Features tool from the Control Panel. Much like its Control Panel cousin, the Settings version is your main uninstaller utility, where you can remove both UWP (Microsoft Store) apps and desktop software. The tool also includes Reset and Repair troubleshooting options for UWP apps.

The Settings uninstaller tool is quite essential since you can’t remove UWP apps with Programs and Features. Thus, Apps & Features is an important utility many users will at least need to sometimes open. Here are nine different ways you can open Apps & Features in Windows 11.

1. How to Open Apps & Features Within Settings

This first method is one of the slower ways to open Apps & Features, but it's very self-explanatory. It involves manually navigating through Settings to reach the Apps & Features tool. Although not the best of methods, this is how you can open Apps & Features within Settings:

  1. Click on the Start button and click the cog on the left-hand side of the menu to open the Settings.
  2. Click the Apps tab along the left side of its window.
    The Apps & features option
  3. Select Apps & Features to bring up that uninstaller tool.
    The Apps & features tool

2. How to Open Apps & Features With Windows 11’s Search Tool

Windows 11’s Search tool is like an app launcher with which you can find and open software, Settings, and Control Panel tools. As such, this utility gives us a more direct way to open Apps & Features. You can open Apps & Features with the search box like this:

  1. Press the dedicated Windows Search Win + S hotkey to open it.
  2. Type Apps & Features inside the search box to find the uninstaller tool.
    Apps & features search result
  3. Click the Apps & Features result in the search utility.

3. How to Open Apps & Features With Run

You can open many Settings pages by entering URIs for them in the Run dialog. A URI is a Uniform Resource Identifier, which is kind of like a special command each Settings page has. This is how to open Apps & Features in Run with its URI:

  1. To quickly access the Run dialog, press its dedicated Win + R hotkey.
  2. Input ms-settings:appsfeatures in the Open box.
    The Run accessory
  3. Click the OK option to view Apps & Features in Settings.

4. How to Open Apps & Features in File Explorer

File Explorer doesn’t incorporate any navigation link you can select to bring up Apps & Features. Yet, you can still open Settings’ uninstaller tool from there with Explorer’s address bar in the following steps:

  1. Click Explorer’s taskbar shortcut (the folder library icon) to bring up the file manager.
  2. Erase the current path in Explorer’s address bar.
  3. Input ms-settings:appsfeatures in the folder path address bar.
    File Explorer's folder path bar
  4. Press Enter to open Apps & Features.

5. How to Open Apps & Features With the Windows Terminal

Windows has Command Prompt and PowerShell command-line shells with which you can open Apps & Features much the same. You can utilize both those command lines within Windows Terminal. This is how to open Apps & Features with PowerShell or Command Prompt in Windows Terminal:

  1. Press Win + X to open the Power User menu.
  2. Select the Windows Terminal shortcut.
  3. Press Ctrl + Shift + 1 for the PowerShell tab or Ctrl + Shift + 2 to view the Command Prompt tab in Windows Terminal.
  4. Type in this command inside the PowerShell or Command Prompt tab:
            start ms-settings: appsfeatures
        
    The start ms-settings: appsfeatures command
  5. Press Enter to execute the open Apps & Features command.

6. How to Open Apps & Features With the Power User Menu

Windows 11’s Power User menu includes 15 handy shortcuts, one of which opens Apps & Features. To access that menu, press its Win + X keyboard shortcut. Then select the Apps & Features option on that menu.

The Power User menu

7. How to Open Apps & Features With a Desktop Shortcut

As Apps & Features is an important tool, it makes sense to add a desktop shortcut for opening it. A shortcut there will make that Settings page almost immediately accessible. You can create an Apps & Features desktop shortcut with its URI as follows:

  1. Click anywhere on the Windows desktop area with the right mouse button and select New.
  2. Select Shortcut to open a wizard window.
  3. Type explorer.exe ms-settings:appsfeatures in the Create Shortcut wizard’s item location box and click Next.
    The Create Shortcut wizard
  4. Erase the default title for the shortcut, and input Apps & Features in the text box.
  5. Select Finish to add the Apps & Features shortcut.
  6. Double-click the Apps & Features shortcut on the desktop to bring up the uninstaller tool.

The Apps & Features shortcut will have a default folder library icon. To choose a better alternative, right-click the Apps & Features desktop shortcut and select Properties > Change Icon. Type this path in the Look for icons box and hit Return:

        %SystemRoot%\System32\SHELL32.dll
    

Then you can choose a different icon from a wide variety of system alternatives. Select an icon there, and click the OK button. Click Apply to save the new icon.

The Change Icon

8. How to Open Apps & Features With Taskbar and Start Menu Shortcuts

The taskbar is preferable for important shortcuts since it remains visible with windows open over the desktop. You can also open Apps & Features from the taskbar by adding a shortcut there. Create a desktop shortcut as covered in the seventh method. Then right-click that shortcut to select Show more options > Pin to taskbar.

The Pin to taskbar option

You’ll also notice a Pin to Start menu option on the classic menu. Select Pin to Start menu if you prefer to have an Apps & Features shortcut there. Then you can open that utility by clicking a pinned shortcut for it to the front of the menu.

9. How to Open Apps & Features With a Hotkey

A keyboard shortcut for Apps & Features will place that uninstaller tool at your fingertips. You can easily set up a custom hotkey for opening that utility without extra software. These are the steps for setting up an Apps & shortcuts hotkey:

  1. Add an Apps & Features shortcut to the desktop as instructed in method seven.
  2. Right-click the Apps & Features desktop shortcut and select the Properties context menu option for it.
  3. Click the Shortcut key box to activate a text cursor.
    The Shortcut key box
  4. Press A (for apps) to establish a Ctrl + Shift + A key combination.
  5. Select Apply to save your hotkey.
  6. Now press Ctrl + Shift + A to open Apps & Features with its new hotkey. That keyboard shortcut will always work so long as you don’t erase its desktop shortcut.

Open Apps & Features and Manage Your Apps

Apps & Features may be the most important Settings tool to open in Windows 11. You can access that page in numerous ways with Run, Settings, Power User menu, the search utility, File Explorer, Windows Terminal, and custom shortcuts. Opening the Apps & Features page with a custom shortcut is the most direct way to bring up that uninstaller tool. Open Apps & Features in whatever way suits you best.