Disable Windows 11 Widgets Permanently: 4 Ways to do it

Disable Widgets by making few quick system changes

Windows 11 » How To

Reading time icon 2 min. read

Calendar icon Updated on

by Vladimir Popescu 

updated on

Share this article

This article is translated in

Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links. Tooltip Icon

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team Read more

How to remove widgets on Windows 11

Widgets are one new feature of Windows 11, but they aren’t very useful, which is why many want to know how to disable widgets on Windows 11.

The process is not too complicated, and in today’s guide, we will show you a couple of ways to do that.

How do I permanently disable Windows 11 widgets?

1. Use Group Policy Editor

  1. Press Windows key + R and enter gpedit.msc. Click OK.
    GPEDIT MSC RUN -Your Virus and threat protection is managed by your organization
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration and expand Administrative Templates. Next, navigate to Windows Components and expand Widgets. In the right pane, double-click on Allow widgets.
  3. Set it to Disabled and save changes.
  4. Restart your PC.

2. Modify registry with Command Prompt

  1. Press the Windows key + S and type cmd. Choose Run as administrator.
  2. Next, run the following command: reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh" /v "AllowNewsAndInterests" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
  3. Close the Command Prompt and restart your PC.

3. Use a reg file

  1. Open Notepad.
  2. Paste the following lines:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
    "TaskbarDa"=dword:00000000
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\NewsAndInterests\AllowNewsAndInterests]
    "value"=dword:00000000
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh]
    "AllowNewsAndInterests"=dword:00000000
  3. Click on File and choose Save as.
  4. Set Save as type to All files. Set the name to script.reg.
     
  5. Now locate script.reg file you created and run it to add changes to the registry.

4. Remove Windows web experience pack

  1. Press the Windows key + S, type cmd, and choose Run as administrator.
  2. Run the following command: winget uninstall "windows web experience pack"
  3. Alternatively, you can use winget uninstall MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience_cw5n1h2txyewy

If asked for confirmation, just press Y and then Enter.

Note icon NOTE
Remember that this solution will uninstall components necessary for Widgets to run, but you can always install them if needed.

How do I turn off widgets on hover in Windows 11?

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Navigate to Personalization and then Taskbar.
  3. Lastly, set Widgets to Off.

Easy, right? There’s no need to get frustrated when customizing your desktop as long as you follow our guides. Annoying widget notifications like money insights can also be disabled.

Still, if you’re not completely happy about the new design, learn how to make Windows 11 look like Windows 10.

Want to know how to make your desktop even cooler? You can make your Taskbar transparent in a few simple steps.

If you have any questions or suggestions, use the comments section below and let us know your thoughts.

More about the topics: widgets, Windows 11 guides

Vladimir Popescu

Vladimir Popescu Shield

Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related. With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing Windows-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information. When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.