redesigned-settings-experience

Overview

The settings experience in Citrix Workspace app for Windows has been redesigned. The legacy tabbed preferences window used a horizontal tab bar (General, Accounts, File Access, Devices, Audio and Webcam, Keyboard, Security and Privacy, Advanced). It has been replaced with a modern, vertically navigated Citrix Workspace app settings window organized under standardized categories.

Settings have been reorganized, relabeled, and consolidated under six intuitive categories: General, Sound and camera, Keyboard, Devices, Display, and Privacy and security. A built-in search bar enables instant discovery of any setting by keyword.

Important:

The underlying functionality of all settings remains unchanged. Only the user interface, navigation structure, and labeling have been modernized to align with cross-platform consistency goals.

Modernized UI and navigation

With this release, the navigation model, control style, and overall visual design of the settings experience have been modernized. The following table summarizes the key changes:

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Navigation model Flat list of hyperlinks on the Advanced Preferences page Left sidebar with categorized navigation
Sub-level navigation Individual pop-up dialogs for each setting Inline sub-pages with back-arrow navigation
Control style Mixed checkboxes, radio buttons, and drop-down lists in legacy Win32 dialogs Modern toggle switches, visual selection cards, and inline drop-down lists
Version display Shown in the About section only A persistent footer in the sidebar showing version, copyright, and third-party notices
Change-effect notices Generic dialog: Pressing OK restarts Citrix Workspace Inline orange notice with specific instructions about restart behavior
Search Not available Built-in Search settings bar enabling instant discovery of any setting by keyword

How to enable the new settings UI

This feature is disabled by default. Enable it with the Enable new settings user interface policy in - Computer Configuration or User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Citrix Components > Citrix Workspace > User experience.

Redesigning New Settings Enable

Alternatively, the feature can also be enabled in your environment by completing the form: CWA Windows - Settings Redesign Experience Tech Preview Request

App-level settings

Previously, the Advanced Preferences page presented 14 flat hyperlinks, each opening a separate dialog window. Starting with this release, these settings have been consolidated into four logical categories accessible from a single Citrix Workspace app settings window.

Settings categories

New category Settings included Previous location
General Citrix Workspace update, Connection strength notifications, Shortcuts, Session reconnect, About Citrix Workspace Updates, Shortcuts and Reconnect, Support information
Keyboard Keyboard system shortcuts scope, Keyboard layout synchronization, IME, Language bar visibility Keyboard and Language bar (two separate tabs)
Display Session resolution (DPI or scaling) High DPI (separate dialog)
Privacy and security Usage statistics (CEIP), Delete passwords, SSO for Microsoft Entra ID Data collection, Delete passwords, Authentication Settings

General settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned General category in the app-level settings window.

Redesigned App Level General Settings

Keyboard settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned Keyboard category with updated controls and layout.

Redesigned App Level Keyboard Settings

Keyboard settings additional view:

This screenshot shows an additional Keyboard settings view in the redesigned experience.

Redesigned App Level Keyboard Settings

Display settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned Display category for session resolution and scaling preferences.

Redesigned App Level Display Settings

Privacy and security settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned Privacy and security category for permissions and security-related options.

Redesigned App Level Privacy Settings

Removed and consolidated entry points

The following entry points from the previous Advanced Preferences page have been removed, relocated, or consolidated:

Previous setting Disposition in new UI
Connection Center Removed from settings (remains accessible through the system tray)
Shortcuts and Reconnect Split: General > Shortcuts and General > Session reconnect
Citrix Workspace Updates Moved to General > Citrix Workspace update
Configuration checker Moved to Support > Check configuration
Delete Passwords Moved to Privacy and security > Delete passwords
Citrix Files Setting deprecated and removed
Authentication Settings Moved to Privacy and security > SSO for Microsoft Entra ID
High DPI Moved to Display > Session resolution
Keyboard and Language bar Split into sections under Keyboard
Local IME Moved to Keyboard > Input Method Editor (IME)
Data collection Moved to Privacy and security > Send usage statistics
Reset Citrix Workspace Moved to Support > Reset Citrix Workspace
Support information Moved to General > About
Log Collection Moved to Support > Collect logs

Key changes

  • Single unified window - You can access all app-level settings from one Citrix Workspace app settings window instead of navigating 14 or more separate dialogs.
  • Persistent sidebar navigation - You can switch between General, Keyboard, Display, and Privacy and security without closing dialogs.
  • Built-in search - The Search settings bar enables instant discovery of any setting by keyword, matching down to the most granular label level.
  • Sub-level navigation - Settings such as Citrix Workspace update and Shortcuts open as sub-pages with back-arrow navigation.
  • Modern controls - Legacy checkboxes and radio buttons have been replaced with toggle switches, visual selection cards, and inline drop-down.
  • Admin-managed visibility - Settings configured by an administrator display a clear indicator, improving transparency.
  • Contextual help - Tooltip icons provide inline help for settings such as Start Menu folder and Desktop folder paths.
  • Update channel relabeling - Release has been renamed to Generally Available. Beta has been renamed to Early Access Release.

Note:

Some settings changes require you to quit and reopen Citrix Workspace app, as indicated by inline notices in the new UI. The Configuration checker and Log Collection tools are no longer accessible from the settings UI; they have been moved to the Support window.

In-session preferences

In-session preferences continue to be accessible through the Preferences button in the in-session Desktop Viewer toolbar. The toolbar continues to provide Pin toolbar, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Shortcuts, Preferences, Connection, Minimize, Fullscreen, and Disconnect actions.

Starting with this release, the window title has changed from Citrix Workspace - Preferences to Preferences - [Session Name] (for example, Preferences - Prod MIC Windows Persistent Desktop 4CPU), making it clear which session the settings apply to.

Sound and camera settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned in-session Sound and camera settings experience.

Redesigned In-session Sound Settings

Sound and camera settings additional view:

This screenshot shows an additional in-session Sound and camera settings view.

Redesigned In-session Sound Settings Additional View

Mouse settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned in-session Mouse settings.

Redesigned In-session Mouse Settings

Devices settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned in-session Devices settings.

Redesigned In-session Devices Settings

Display settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned in-session Display settings.

Redesigned In-session Display Settings

Privacy and security settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned in-session Privacy and security settings.

Redesigned In-session Privacy and Security Settings

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Window title Citrix Workspace - Preferences Preferences - [Session Name]
Navigation Horizontal tab bar across the top Left sidebar with categorized navigation
Search Not available Built-in Search settings bar at top of sidebar
Categories 4-5 tabs: Devices, File Access, Local IME, Connections, Display, Monitor Layout 6 sidebar categories: Sound and camera, Mouse, Devices, Display, Privacy, and security
Controls Legacy Win32 checkboxes, radio buttons, OK/Cancel/Apply buttons Modern toggle switches, inline drop-down, radio options with descriptions
Version info Not shown in preferences Persistent footer: version number, copyright, and third-party notices

Category reorganization

Previously, the tabbed layout grouped settings by technical function. With this release, the new sidebar categories group settings by user intent and device type.

New category Settings included Previous location Key improvements
Sound and camera Camera selection, background blur, speaker selection, microphone selection, noise suppression Connections tab (mixed with device connection policies) Each audio and video setting now has a dedicated card with a descriptive subtitle explaining its behavior. The microphone drop-down shows all detected devices by name. Noise suppression descriptions explain the resource consumption trade-off for each level.
Mouse Relative mouse, constrain pointer, window scaling for mouse Connections tab (bottom section, mixed with audio and video) Each mouse setting now includes a descriptive subtitle explaining what it does and when it is useful, replacing the previous bare checkboxes.
Devices USB device redirection table, auto-connect toggles Devices tab The Devices category retains its dedicated section for USB device redirection, with a modernized table layout and two new auto-connect toggles.
Display Monitor layout (split screen, DPI), Desktop display (resolution mode) Display tab and Monitor Layout tab (two separate tabs) The previous Display and Monitor Layout tabs have been merged into a single Display category with two sections.
Privacy and security File access permissions, Microphone and webcam connection policy, Digital camera and scanner connection policy File Access tab and Connections tab (split across two tabs) This new category consolidates permission-related settings that were previously scattered across the File Access and Connections tabs.

Setting relocation map

The following table provides a detailed mapping of where each in-session preference setting has been relocated:

Previous tab Previous setting New category New setting
Connections Microphones and webcams (Connect automatically / Do not connect / Ask me) Privacy and security Microphones and webcams (Connect automatically / Don’t connect / Ask me every time)
Connections Digital cameras and scanners (Connect automatically / Do not connect / Ask me) Privacy and security Digital cameras and scanners (Connect automatically / Don’t connect / Ask me every time)
Connections Default webcam drop-down Sound and camera Available camera drop-down
Connections Enable background blur checkbox Sound and camera Background blur toggle
Connections Default speaker drop-down Sound and camera Default speaker drop-down
Connections Default microphone drop-down Sound and camera Default microphone drop-down
Connections Noise suppression (None / Low / High) Sound and camera Noise suppression (None / Low / High) with descriptions
Connections Use relative mouse checkbox Mouse Use relative mouse toggle
Connections Constrain pointer to window checkbox Mouse Constrain pointer to window toggle
Connections Apply window scaling to mouse movement checkbox Mouse Apply window scaling to mouse movement toggle
Devices USB device redirection table Devices USB device redirection table (modernized)
File Access File access settings (Read and write / Read only / No access / Ask me each time) Privacy and security File access (Read and write / Read only / No access / Ask me every time)
Local IME Input method settings (Enable Server IME / Local IME modes) App-level Keyboard Input Method Editor (IME) in app-level settings
Display Best resolution / Scale to fit / Actual size Display Desktop display: Best resolution / Scale to fit / Actual size
Monitor Layout Split screen, DPI per monitor, Horizontal/Vertical Display Monitor layout section (same functionality)

Note:

The previous Connections tab was the most overloaded tab, containing audio and video device defaults, noise suppression, mouse settings, and device connection policies all in one scrollable view. With this release, the Connections tab has been eliminated and its contents distributed across three purpose-built categories: Sound and camera, Mouse, and Privacy and security.

Terminology changes

The following labels have been updated for clarity and consistency:

Previous label New label Category
Default webcam Available camera Sound and camera
Enable background blur Background blur Sound and camera
Do not connect Don’t connect Privacy and security
Ask me Ask me every time Privacy and security
Ask me each time Ask me every time Privacy and security
Current Connection Connection status Devices
Redirect to Session Redirection Devices
Virtual Channel Removed from table view Devices
Citrix Workspace - Preferences Preferences - [Session Name] Window title

Troubleshooting settings

The support experience in Citrix Workspace app for Windows has been redesigned. The previously scattered support-related settings, spread across the Advanced Preferences page as individual hyperlinks, have been consolidated into a dedicated Citrix Workspace app support window with a unified left-navigation layout.

Important:

The underlying functionality of all support settings remains unchanged. This is a UI/UX modernization. No features have been added or removed.

Support settings view

This screenshot shows the redesigned support settings experience with unified navigation.

New unified support window

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Entry point Individual hyperlinks scattered across the Advanced Preferences and Troubleshooting pages Dedicated Support option in the Troubleshooting settings, opening a single unified window
Window title Various (for example, Citrix Workspace, Log collection) Consistent: Citrix Workspace app support
Navigation Separate pop-up dialogs for each function Persistent left-side navigation panel with all support functions listed
Layout Multiple standalone dialog windows with inconsistent styling Single-window, two-panel layout (navigation panel and content area)

Entry point relocation

Previously, support-related items were listed as hyperlinks on the Advanced Preferences page alongside unrelated settings such as Connection Center, Shortcuts and Reconnect, and Citrix Workspace Updates. Starting with this release, you can access all support functions through the Support option in the Troubleshooting settings page or the user profile drop-down menu.

Left navigation categories

The new support window groups all support-related actions into a single vertically navigable panel with five categories:

Navigation item Description
Collect logs Log collection with enhanced log-level selection and descriptive guidance
Send feedback Unified feedback submission form with integrated log collection and attachments
Check configuration Configuration checker tool with updated test providers
Reset Citrix Workspace Factory reset with modernized confirmation dialog
Help documentation Direct link to product documentation

Collect logs

The log collection experience has been enhanced with clearer guidance, descriptive log-level labels, and a modernized interface.

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Location Log Collection link in Advanced Preferences, opening a standalone dialog Collect logs in the left navigation of the Support window
Log levels Drop-down with label Log level (for example, Medium) Radio buttons with three clearly labeled levels: Low, Medium, Verbose
Log level descriptions No description provided for any level Low: Minimum logs for basic troubleshooting. Medium: Identifies errors while connecting. Verbose: Captures everything including connection diagnostics.
Last log display Last tracing timestamp with Save log link The last log section showing file name, size, and timestamp, with download and delete icons
Capturing dialog Not available Modern modal: Capturing issues with Stop and Cancel buttons
Cancel confirmation Not available Warning dialog: Cancel capturing issue? The trace file for this log collection will be lost.

Collect logs settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned Collect logs settings experience in the Support window.

Redesigned Support Collect Logs Settings

Send feedback

With this release, Citrix Workspace app introduces a new consolidated feedback experience. You can describe issues, attach logs, add screenshots or screen recordings, and generate a complete feedback package in a single flow.

Field Details
Title Required text field for a brief summary of the issue
Description Required rich text area with placeholder guidance: Include details such as Expected result, Actual result, Steps to reproduce the issue
Integrated log collection Built-in log section within the feedback form with Log level drop-down (Low, Medium, Verbose) and Start collecting logs / Collect existing logs buttons
Attachments Choose the file button to add screenshots or screen recordings. File size limit of 25 MB per file; files exceeding the limit are flagged with a warning icon
Report creation Create report button generates a feedback package with a clickable file path
Email integration Provides the feedback email address with a copy button and an Open mail app action
Create another report Option to immediately create another report after submission

Send feedback settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned Send feedback settings experience in the Support window.

Redesigned Support Send Feedback Settings

Check configuration

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Location Configuration checker link in Advanced Preferences Check the configuration in the Support left navigation
Test providers SSONChecker, BeaconChecker, TestProvider SSONChecker, BeaconChecker, AppPHealthChecker
Results display Standalone Citrix Workspace Configuration Checker window Same checker interface within the Support window context
Exit handling No specific exit confirmation Modern dialog: Configuration check in progress. Do you want to exit? with Exit and Go back buttons

Reset Citrix Workspace

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Dialog style Legacy Windows dialog with yellow warning triangle Modern dialog with red top border and red diamond warning icon
Message Verbose warning with multiple sentences about resetting all apps, desktops, accounts, and configurations Streamlined message: All apps, desktops, and profile configurations reset to the Citrix Workspace default settings. Any active sessions close, and unsaved data will be lost.
Buttons Yes, reset Citrix Workspace / Cancel Reset / Cancel (shorter, clearer labels)

Help documentation

Starting with this release, a new Help documentation entry has been added to the Support left navigation. This entry provides a direct link to product documentation, replacing the previous Support information option in Advanced Preferences, which generated a technical XML file with version and plug-in information.

Removed and relocated support items

Previous Advanced Preferences item New location
Log Collection Support > Collect logs
Configuration checker Support > Check configuration
Reset Citrix Workspace Support > Reset Citrix Workspace
Support information (XML export) Replaced by Support > Help documentation

Store visibility in the profile drop-down

The user profile drop-down menu now includes a dedicated Stores section that lists all enabled stores. This section integrates with the Show in menu toggle in the Manage stores window. Only stores with the toggle enabled appear as selectable options. A checkmark icon indicates the currently active store, and you can click any listed store name to switch to that store.

User profile enhancements

With this release, two new options have been added to the user profile drop-down menu in Citrix Workspace app for Windows:

Manage stores

The store management experience in Citrix Workspace app for Windows has been redesigned. The legacy Add or Remove Accounts dialog has been replaced with a modern, feature-rich Manage stores window that provides an intuitive, streamlined interface for managing multiple Citrix stores.

Important: The underlying store management functionality remains unchanged. Only the user interface and interaction patterns have been modernized.

Redesigned Manage Stores Settings

Manage stores settings view:

This screenshot shows the redesigned Manage stores settings experience.

Redesigned Manage Stores Settings

System tray context menu

A new Manage stores menu item has been added to the Citrix Workspace app system tray icon context menu, positioned between Advanced Preferences and Troubleshooting.

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Menu item Not present in the context menu Manage stores added between Advanced Preferences and Troubleshooting
Access to store management Required opening Advanced Preferences first or navigating through other dialogs Direct one-click access from the system tray context menu
Full context menu Open, Connection Center, Open Citrix Enterprise Browser, Advanced Preferences, Troubleshooting, Exit Open, Connection Center, Open Citrix Enterprise Browser, Advanced Preferences, Manage stores, Troubleshooting, Exit

Manage stores window

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Window title Citrix Workspace Citrix Workspace app - Manage stores
Dialog heading Add or Remove Accounts Stores
Layout Single-panel legacy dialog with a data grid Two-panel modern window: left navigation and content area
Navigation None (flat dialog) Left-side navigation panel with Stores and + Add store options
Store list format Table with columns: On (checkbox), Name, Description Modern list with toggle switches, store names, URLs, descriptions, and per-store action menus
Search Not available Built-in Search store or url search bar in the top-right
Buttons Add and Remove buttons at bottom, OK to close Per-store overflow menu (Edit, Remove); + Add store in left navigation
Version info Not displayed Shown in bottom-left: version number, copyright, and third-party notices link

Store list features

Show in menu toggle

With this release, the previous On checkbox has been replaced with a Show in menu toggle switch. When enabled (blue), the store appears in the user profile drop-down Stores list. When disabled (gray with X), the store is hidden from the profile drop-down but remains configured.

Primary store badge

Previously, the primary store was indicated by a (Primary) text label in the Description column. Starting with this release, the primary store displays a styled blue Primary badge inline next to the store name for clear visibility.

Store actions

Per-store overflow menu

Each store now has an overflow menu (three-dot icon) with two contextual actions:

Action Description
Edit Opens the Edit store view for the selected store, where you can modify the store name and description. The store URL is displayed but not editable.
Remove Initiates the store removal process with a confirmation dialog

Edit store

Previously, there was no direct edit capability from the accounts dialog. With this release, you can click the overflow menu and select Edit on any store to modify its name and description. The store URL is displayed but remains read-only to maintain configuration integrity.

Remove store

Aspect Previous behavior New behavior
Access Select store and click the Remove button Click the overflow menu and select Remove on the target store
Confirmation Basic Windows confirmation dialog Modern dialog with orange warning border and warning triangle icon
Dialog title Generic confirmation Remove store ‘[store-name]’? with the actual store name
Impact information Not shown Displays the number of applications that will be deleted (for example, Removing the store deletes 7 applications from your local device.)
Application details Not available Expandable Details section listing all affected applications with their icons
Buttons OK / Cancel Remove (primary button) / Cancel (outlined button)

Search functionality

A new Search store or url search bar has been added to the top-right corner of the Manage stores window. You can search against store names and store URLs to quickly locate a specific store.

Key benefits

  • Single unified settings window - You can access all app-level settings from one window instead of navigating multiple separate dialogs.
  • Built-in search - The Search settings bar enables instant discovery of any setting by keyword.
  • Consolidated support experience - You can collect logs, send feedback, and check configuration from one Support window without navigating multiple dialogs.
  • Integrated feedback workflow - You can describe issues, attach logs, add screenshots or screen recordings, and generate a complete feedback package in a single flow.
  • Modernized store management - The redesigned Manage stores window provides toggle switches, per-store actions, search, and impact-aware removal dialogs.
  • Session-aware preferences - The in-session preferences window now displays the session name in the title, making it clear which session the settings apply to.
  • Modern controls - Legacy checkboxes and radio buttons have been replaced with toggle switches, visual selection cards, and inline drop-down lists.
  • Cross-platform consistency - The new layout aligns with the unified settings consolidation across all Citrix Workspace app platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, HTML5, iOS, and Android).
  • Separation of concerns - Settings (configuration) and Support (troubleshooting and feedback) are now clearly separated, reducing confusion.

Additional information

  • This redesign is part of the broader CTXBV-1283 initiative to consolidate and modernize settings across all Citrix Workspace app platforms.
  • The underlying functionality of all settings, support tools, and store management remains unchanged. Only the user interface has been modernized.
  • The new interface aligns with cross-platform consistency goals, providing a unified look, feel, and nomenclature across Citrix Workspace app for Windows, macOS, Linux, HTML5, iOS, and Android.
  • Store URLs remain non-editable in the Edit store view to maintain configuration integrity.
  • The remove store confirmation dialog now provides full transparency about the impact of removing a store, including listing all affected applications.

Note:

For more information about Citrix Workspace app for Windows, see the Citrix Workspace app for Windows documentation.

redesigned-settings-experience