How to Disable and Remove Widgets in Windows 11

Windows 11 introduced widgets as a new feature, providing quick access to news, weather, calendar, and more. However, not everyone finds them useful, and many users are looking for ways to disable them to keep their workspace clean. This guide will explain how to fully disable and remove widgets in Windows 11.

What Are Windows 11 Widgets?

Widgets are small interactive blocks on the desktop that show real-time information. In Windows 11, they can include elements like:

  • News and events;
  • Weather;
  • Calendar and tasks;
  • Traffic updates and other current info.

These widgets are accessible from the taskbar and open through the "Widgets" menu. Although they offer convenience, they can consume system resources and create visual clutter, so disabling them can improve performance and reduce distractions.

How to Disable Widgets via Windows Settings

  1. Open Windows Settings by pressing Win + I.
  2. Navigate to the Personalization section.
  3. Select Taskbar.
  4. Find and turn off the toggle next to Widgets.

This will remove the widget icon from the taskbar, and they will no longer appear.

How to Disable Widgets Using Group Policy Editor

If you’re using Windows 11 Pro or above, you can disable widgets through the Group Policy Editor. Follow these steps:

  1. Press Win + R and type gpedit.msc to open the Group Policy Editor.
  2. Go to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets.
  3. Double-click on Disable Widgets and select Enabled.
  4. Click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.

After restarting your system, widgets will be fully disabled and inaccessible.

Removing Widgets Using Command Line

To completely remove widgets from your system, you can use PowerShell:

  1. Open PowerShell as an administrator. Right-click the Start menu and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  2. Type the following command and press Enter: 
    Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience* | Remove-AppxPackage

This command will uninstall the widgets application from the system, making it unrecoverable without reinstallation.

How to Restore Widgets

If you want to bring widgets back, you can reinstall the Windows Web Experience Pack from the Microsoft Store or use the Windows restore features.