Windows 11 Widget Panel: How to Make the Most of the New Feature

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 10 October 2021, 07:10 am

The Windows 11 software has a brand-new widgets panel, where users can access numerous updated information via the configurable topic boxes, also knowns as the information cards.

The panel is made up of two different sections. The top section offers widgets for sports, weather, the latest photos, and other topics. Meanwhile, the news section offers clickable headlines from numerous sources.

Luckily, you can make the most of the current Windows 11 widgets panels, according to CNET.

Windows 11 Widgets

In order to access the widgets, you can select the icon in the taskbar. The icon is square-shaped and has a white section and a blue section. You can also combine the Windows and W key, or if you have a touchscreen PC, you can swipe from the left.

You will probably see numerous widgets on top that will provide you information about sports scores, stock prices, the weather, and any images that you may have in your account, according to The Verge.

Also Read: Windows 11: How to Disable the Execution of App Installation Files

You can use the search field or a button at the top if you wish to add a new widget. Under that, you will see numerous news sources.

The widgets panel was added after Microsoft removed the taskbar from the Windows 11 software.

Take note that before installing the Windows 11 software, you can check if your PC is compatible and if it can run it.

Adjusting Your Widgets

There are numerous ways that you can change your widget panel. Long press the top of a widget if you wish to move it. You should see an open hand that will let you move it to wherever you want. You can then change the position on the panel.

To change the widget's size, just remove it from the panel, or you can customize it. To do this, click on the three dots that you see on the upper right section of the screen.

The choices that you see will depend on the widget. As for the weather widget, you can change the size if you want to, or you can customize it and set a default location.

The photos app only sizes to medium or large, and it has no other customizations, according to CBSNews.

Then, select the widget's name located in the upper left part of the screen. You will be taken to a separate page where you can access information about it.

You will see more details on the weather or the latest sports scores.

If you wish to see the current selection of available widgets, just click on the "Add Widgets" button that can be seen between the widgets and the news feeds. It is not a large list now; there are a total of 11 that are available. However, there will be third-party entries added in the future, so that number may increase.

Windows 11 News Feed

The news section of the widget is below the "Add widgets" button. It is headed by a "Top stories" section that shows several headlines, followed by stories. Both come with Facebook-like icons that you can add to each story.

You choose the three dots that is seen next to every single headline. You can also choose to see more or fewer stories.

You can also hide the stories from the source, you can save them for later, or you can report them. Stories that you bookmarked will show a gray square beside the three dots.