Let’s learn Various Ways to Enable or Disable Widgets Feature in Windows 11 using GPO, Intune, and Registry. Widgets are small windows that display dynamic information on your Windows desktop. Those appear on the widgets board, where you can add, remove, arrange, resize, and customize them to reflect your interests and how you work.
This helps you stay on top of what is important to you by combining personalized content from your favourite applications and services to have the latest information at a glance regularly. So you can stay connected to what you care about without losing focus on your most important tasks.
You must be signed in to your Microsoft, work, or school accounts to use the widgets board. The widgets board contains two sections: your widgets and your news feed. Your widgets are located at the top of the widgets board. Updated content will appear in your news feed when new content meets your personalization settings.
Starting with Windows 11 build 25262, the most recent update for widgets, we are removing the sign-in requirement for the widgets board and making it available for all users. With Windows 11 build 26058, Microsoft continues evolving the widgets board experience.
Table of Contents
Various Ways to Enable or Disable Widgets Feature
You can enable or disable the Widgets Feature in Windows 11. The methods for enabling and disabling the settings are listed below.
- Enable or Disable Widgets Feature Using Windows Settings
- Enable or Disable Widgets Feature Using Local Group Policy
- Enable or Disable Widgets Feature Using Registry File
- Intune Method to Enable or Disable Widgets Feature
- 3 Easy Methods to Hide and Unhide Files and Folders in Windows 11
- New Widgets Experience in Windows
- Step-by-Step Guide to Enable Widgets on Windows Machines with Intune Policy
Enable or Disable Widgets Feature Using Windows Settings
You can use Windows Settings to Enable or Disable Widgets Feature. Click the Windows button, select Settings, or press Win Key + I to open settings directly.
Then, under settings, click on the Personalization option on the left panel: scroll down to find the Taskbar (which provides taskbar behaviours and system pins for your device) in the right panel and click on it.
The Taskbar page under Personalization is open. It shows or hides buttons for taskbar items. Now toggle the On / Off button near the Widgets option to Enable or Disable it, as shown in the figure below.
You can visit New Widgets Experience in Windows to learn detailed guidelines about the new Widget Feature of Windows 11.
Enable or Disable Widgets Feature Using Local Group Policy
In Windows 11, you can set the Local Group Policy Editor to enable or disable the Widgets Feature. Open the Local Group Policy to enable or disable the widgets feature, and follow the process.
- Open the Run command and press Win Key + R.
- Type gpedit.msc
- Click OK or press Enter.
When the Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to the following path to access the required policy settings. To make changes, select Widgets.
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets
Double-click Allow Widgets to open the settings. Here, you can see that it needs at least Windows 10. You can choose the following option: press Apply, then press the OK button to apply the changes. You can enable or disable the Widgets Feature in Windows 11.
This policy specifies whether the widgets feature is allowed on the device. Unless you change this in your settings, widgets will be turned on by default. If you turn this feature on before, it will stay on automatically unless you turn it off.
- Enabled: It enables widgets feature.
- Disabled: It disables the widgets feature.
- Not Configured: Same as Disabled.
Enable or Disable Widgets Feature Using Registry File
Using the registry editor, there are ways to enable or disable the Widgets Feature in Windows. This procedure is done using the Registry File. Let’s discuss the step-by-step guidelines for it.
Now, open Run Window, and press Windows Key + R from the keyboard simultaneously. This is the keyboard shortcut to open the run window. Now, type regedit and click on OK to continue. Then, it asks the Admin’s permission to change the Device. Click Yes.
- Window Key + R (To open run command)
- Type ‘regedit‘ and press OK
- Administrator Permission press Yes
NOTE! Take Backup—If any mistake occurs in the Registry Editor, it may affect the system. It is advisable to take a backup of the Registry before proceeding. To back up, go to File in the top left corner of the Registry Editor. Click on it, then select Export and save the backup.
- Go to File
- Right-click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Click on Export
- Please save it
Enable the Widgets Feature in Windows using the .reg file. To create a .reg file, open NotePad, type the following code, and name it EnableWidgetFeature. Then, save it on the desktop using the .reg extension.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\NewsAndInterests\AllowNewsAndInterests]
"value"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh]
"AllowNewsAndInterests"=-
When the file is saved at your selected location, double-click on it. The User Account Control Window will open; click Yes to continue. Then, the Registry Editor Waring window will open.
Adding information can unintentionally change or delete values and cause components to stop working correctly. If you do not trust the source of this information in the path you created, do not add it to the registry; otherwise, click Yes to continue.
The next window shows that the key and value you added have been successfully added to the registry editor. Now click on OK and restart your PC to add the applicable test.
Use the .reg file to disable the Windows widgets Feature. To create a .reg file, open NotePad, type the following code, and name it DisableWidgetFeature. Then, save it on the desktop using the .reg extension.
When the file is saved at your selected location, double-click on it. The User Account Control Window will open; click Yes to continue. Then, the Registry Editor Waring window will open.
Adding information can unintentionally change or delete values and cause components to stop working correctly. If you do not trust the source of this information in the path you created, do not add it to the registry; otherwise, click Yes to continue.
The following window shows that the key and value you added have been successfully added to the registry editor. Now click on OK and restart your PC to add the applicable test.
Intune Method to Enable or Disable Widgets Feature
Let’s learn how to manage the Windows widget on a Windows device through configuration profiles in Intune and follow these steps meticulously.
To learn more about the Microsoft Intune method, visit the Step-by-Step Guide to Enable Widgets on Windows Machines with Intune Policy.
- Sign in to the Microsoft Intune Admin Portal.
- Select Devices > Windows > Configuration Profiles > Create > New Policy.
When you click Create and New Policy, a new window will open. In Platform, select Windows 10 and later, Select Profile Type as Settings Catalog, and Click on Create.
You can search the settings catalog for the Allow Widgets keyword and add the preferred value, as shown below.
- Allowed = Widget is Enabled
- Now Allowed = Widget is Disabled
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Sources
- Stay up to date with widgets
- How to update the Windows Web Experience Pack in the Microsoft Store
- Policy CSP – NewsAndInterests
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Author
Alok graduated with a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) degree. He loves writing on Windows 11 and related technologies. He likes to share his knowledge, quick tips, and tricks with Windows 11 or Windows 10 with the community.