How to Use Windows 11 Widgets
Weather, news and calendar in a quick panel, and how to customise or turn them off.
Widgets show quick information (weather, news, calendar) in a sliding panel, with no separate app to open.
- Widgets icon on the taskbar (or
Windows + W). - A panel opens showing your current widgets.
- "Add widgets" (the + icon) to add more of the available ones.
Customising which ones to see
Inside the panel, each widget has a three-dot menu with options to reorder, resize, or remove that specific widget.
Note: widgets need an internet connection to update their content — with no connection, they'll show the last information they managed to load.
Tip: if you'd rather not use them, you can turn off the widgets icon on the taskbar from Settings → Personalisation → Taskbar.
Frequently asked questions
Do widgets use resources even when I don't have them open?
They have minimal impact while not open — they update lightly in the background, with no significant consumption compared to having an app open.
Can I remove the widgets icon if I don't use them?
Yes, from Settings → Personalisation → Taskbar, you can turn off the icon entirely if you'd rather not have it visible.