In previous article, we mentioned Best 8 PC cleaner software for Windows but in this article, I have mentioned how to disable widgets on Windows 11 using various possible ways.
Widgets were around in Android OS before iOS and Windows adopted them in their latest versions. It is a great feature for some people because it gives them easy access to information like news, time, and weather without opening apps.
However, I've met people who consider Widgets unnecessary, and this article is for you if you use Windows 11 and share the same belief.
You will learn quick and easy ways to disable widgets on your Windows 11 computer. Let's proceed!
There are four ways to disable widgets in Windows 11. You can disable them from the taskbar on your home screen, the Windows Settings, the Registry Editor, or the Group Policy Editor.
Let's explore each method deeply.
Disable Widgets In From The Taskbar
This method of disabling widgets is perhaps the easiest. Follow these steps to disable widgets on your Windows 11 computer from the taskbar on your home screen:
Step 1: Right-click on Taskbar
Hover your mouse cursor over a blank space on your taskbar and right-click.
Step 2: Taskbar Settings
A context menu will display after right-clicking the Taskbar; click on Taskbar Settings from this menu. You will likely have it as the last option in the menu.
Step 3: Widgets
The Taskbar settings let you personalize how your taskbar appears. You can show or hide the buttons on the taskbar, icons on the corner of the taskbar, and a few other settings. Locate the Widgets tab under the taskbar items.
Step 4: Disable Widgets
Click the toggle to the right side of the widgets tab to disable it, and that’s all.
Disable Widgets In Windows 11 From The Windows Settings
If disabling widgets from the taskbar is the easiest, this method is easy and the most common. Check out the steps below.
Step 1: Open Windows Settings
Go to the PC settings by searching for settings with the Windows search button or pressing Windows + I.
You can also open the Settings with the Run dialog box. Press Windows + R, type ms-settings in the text field, and then press the Enter key.
Step 2: Personalization
Click on the personalization tab from the Windows Setting’s sidebar, and the personalization settings will display on the right pane.
Step 3: Taskbar
The personalization settings let you customize or personalize your PC settings and appearance. Scroll down to the Taskbar tile and click on it to change the taskbar behaviors and system pins, including Widgets.
Step 4: Disable Widgets
Locate the Taskbar items section on the Taskbar Settings page the Taskbar Settings. The section contains the search, task view, widgets, and chat tiles. Select the Widgets tile and click on the toggle to the right of the tile to disable it.
Disable Widgets In Windows 11 Using The Registry Editor
Another method of disabling widgets in Windows 11 is via the Windows Registry Editor. This method may seem a bit harder, but it may be the favorite method of Administrators and advanced Windows users as it deals with editing database settings.
Follow the steps below to disable widgets on your Windows 11 computer using the Registry Editor:
Step 1: Open Registry Editor
Press Windows + R buttons to open the Run dialog box, then type "Regedit" in the text field before hitting the Enter key.
Step 2: Allow User Account Control
The system will ask if you want the program to make changes to the computer. Click Yes on the prompt to give the access.
Step 3: Navigate Registry Editor
Navigate to the following address in the Registry Editor:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
You may also paste the address in the address bar and hit the "Enter" key. Next, click on the Advanced folder to view its contents on the right pane of the page.
Step 4: TaskbarDa
Navigate through the items in the Advanced folder as it displays on the right pane of the page to locate TaskbarDa. Double-click the item when you find it to see its properties.
Step 5: Disable Widgets
You can disable widgets by editing the TaskbarDa default value. After double-clicking TaskbarDa in the last step, the pop-up window will display its default value as 1, replace it with 0, and hit Enter. Next, restart your computer to effect the change.
Disable Widgets In Windows 11 Using The Group Policy Editor
Group Policy Editor is not an app you use often; hence, disabling widgets with it is not a popular idea. However, it works well like the other methods and is an app you may like to explore.
Group Policy Editor is a Windows administration tool that adjusts different crucial settings on networks or machines, and you can disable Widdgwts with it as follows:
Step 1: Open Group Policy Editor
You can open the Group Policy Editor with the Windows Run Dialog. Press the "Windows button + R to open the Run dialog box and type gpedit.msc in the search bar before hitting the "Enter" key.
Step 2: Navigate to Windows Components
In the Local Group Policy Editor Window, click the drop-down arrow beside Computer Configuration on the left pane, and navigate to Administrative Templates > Windows Components by clicking the drop-down arrow beside each folder.
Step 3: Widgets
Still, on the left pane, scroll through the folders under the Windows Components till you locate Widgets. Click on the Widgets folder, and you will see the setting items that pertain to it on the window's right pane.
Step 4: Select Allow Widgets
Locate Allow Widgets on the right pane, right-click on it, and select Edit from the context menu that displays.
Step 5: Disable Widget
The Widgets setting window will display on the screen. Here is how it applies to Widgets:
- The policy specifies whether the widgets feature is allowed on the device.
- Widgets will be turned on by default unless you change this in your settings.
- If you turned the feature on before, it would stay on automatically unless you turned it off.
Click on Disabled at the top left side of the page. Click on the Apply button, then click on OK to save the changes.
Finally, reboot your computer to effect these changes.
Conclusion
Windows 11 enables widgets by default to let you catch up with some things without opening any app. However, you can disable these widgets on your computer with the methods in this post.
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