Widgets are interactive elements mainly designed to do two things: (1) display dynamic content and (2) provide quick access to apps and features.
Apart from providing quick access to information and features, Windows 11 widgets offer multiple benefits, such as helping you streamline your workflow and enhance personalization.
That said, some find them visually intrusive and aren’t overly pleased that they may continue running in the background even when not actively used. Regardless of which camp you belong to — those who like widgets or those who don’t — this post is for you. It provides step-by-step instructions for both adding widgets on Windows 11 desktop and removing them.
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Add a widget in Win 11
You can add widgets through the built-in widgets panel. Here’s what to do:
- Press Win+W. This will open the widgets panel
- Click + (add widgets) sign
- Select the widget you want to add and then click the Pin icon in the right-side pane
- The selected widget will now appear in the Widgets panel. To access the source website or app, simply click the widget’s title
- Press Win+W to close the Widget board
Add widgets to your Win desktop
If you want to add Widgets directly to your desktop, you’ll need a third-party tool, such as Widget Launcher. You can download it directly from the Microsoft store. Once you’ve installed the tool, you can put a widget on your desktop by choosing it from the list of widgets on your screen and then selecting Launch Widget.
| To remove a widget that you’ve added to your desktop, simply hover the mouse over it and Click X. |
Customize Widgets in Windows 11
Customizing widgets in Win 11 is easy. Here’s what to do:
- Press Win+W
- Click the three-dot menu and adjust the widget’s size by selecting any of these three options: Small, Medium, and Large. Click the Customize Widget option (after clicking the three-dots menu) for more customization options
| Note: Not all widgets can be resized. |
Remove Widgets in Windows 11
The process for removing widgets is as easy as the one for adding them.
- Open the Widgets panel by pressing Win+W
- Click the three-dots menu inside the widget window of the widget you want to remove
- Choose Unpin widget
Add Widgets Panel to your taskbar
Adding a shortcut to widgets panel to the taskbar is pretty straightforward. This is what you have to do:
- Right-click on the Windows taskbar and choose Taskbar settings
- Turn on the Widgets toggle
- Close the Settings app
- The shortcut will appear in the bottom left-hand corner. Click it to open the Widgets board
That’s just about it! I hope you found this article helpful. Leave your comments below and share the post so that others can benefit. And if you’re worried that adding widgets will slow down your computer, I recommend you perform basic Windows maintenance tasks regularly. These include keeping your security software up to date, running Disk Cleanup to free up space, and regularly updating the OS and drivers. If you’re wondering about the best way to keep your drivers up to date, I recommend using a smart third-party tool, such as Driver Updater.
Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:
- You can update device drivers automatically
- The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
- The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
- Automatic driver updates are 100% safe
Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.
Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app
Step 2
Scan all devices
Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically
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