{"id":202837,"date":"2022-09-07T01:25:48","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T23:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=202837"},"modified":"2025-07-01T20:28:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T03:28:37","slug":"how-to-activate-new-animation-icons-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/how-to-activate-new-animation-icons-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"How to activate the new animation icons in Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Microsoft is going out of its way to add subtle yet fancy features to its free operating system Windows 11<\/strong> to offer even more dynamic aesthetics. The latest in this regard is the animated icons<\/strong> in the Settings app on Windows 11. With this feature enabled, the icons show specific animations as you click on them and move from one option to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Interestingly, Microsoft hasn\u2019t publicly announced this feature yet. It was introduced with the Windows 11 build 25188<\/strong>, along with some other changes and improvements. If you haven\u2019t updated Microsoft’s latest operating system, now is the time. Download and install Windows 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This feature is not available to the public yet and has been rolled out for those enrolled in the Dev Channel with the Windows Insider Program. If you don\u2019t have Windows 11 build 25188, you won\u2019t see the changes even if you follow the steps correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to enroll your Windows device in the program, you can join the<\/strong> Windows Insider Program<\/strong> from the Windows Update section in Settings. Once your device is enrolled in the program, you can download build 25188 from Windows Update. Check for updates, and follow the steps to install the new build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how you can activate the animation icon feature for the Settings app.<\/p>\n\n\n

  1. Launch GitHub website and download ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip<\/h2>\"Download

    This Windows 11 feature is not yet available to apply or activate through Windows Settings. You\u2019ll need to download a file from GitHub<\/a>. The file\u2019s name is ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip. Simply right-click on the file name of the file under Assets and select Save link as, and download it to the desktop. You\u2019ll see different versions of the ViVeTool releases. Download the most recent one, which is ViVeTool v0.3.1.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

  2. Extract the folder<\/h2>\"Extract

    Once downloaded, right-click on the folder and select Open With. Then, click on Windows Explorer. A new dialog will open; select Open. The folder will open in the Windows Explorer window. In the menu bar on top, click on the option Extract All.
    \nA new window will open with the path to the folder. First, copy the path, and then, click on Extract.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

  3. Launch command prompt to enable<\/h2>\"Command

    Go to the Start menu by clicking on the Windows icon from the taskbar. In the search bar on top, type Command Prompt. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command. Cd C:\\FOLDER\\PATH\\ViveTool<\/strong> Here, PATH is the path to the folder that you copied earlier. So paste Ctrl + V<\/i> or manually type it here. Press Enter.<\/p>\n

    Now, type the following command to enable the feature. ViveTool \/enable \/id:34878152<\/strong>. Press Enter and restart Windows Windows icon > Power button > Restart<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

  4. Check the settings app<\/h2>\"Icon

    Once the PC has restarted, go to the Settings app. Click on the Windows icon from the taskbar and select Settings from the pinned icons. You can also search for it if you don\u2019t see it pinned. As the Settings app opens, navigate the icons on the left-hand side and see if the icons are animated. Once you click on the icon, it will show a subtle animated movie once you click on it. For example, the Time & Language icon from the menu will feature the clock moving. Other animations are simpler. For instance, the Accounts icon simply zooms in and out when you click on it. The System icon also just moves on clicking.<\/p>\n

    What if you want to disable this feature of animated icons? The process is pretty much the same. Follow the same steps as above, but in the third step, type in this command ViveTool \/disable \/id:34878152<\/strong> instead of this ViveTool \/enable \/id:34878152<\/strong>. This will disable the feature, and the icons in the settings app will remain static.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ol><\/div>