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Windows 11 does not provide a native way to place its built-in widgets directly on the desktop. Instead, widgets appear as cards in the Widgets board, which opens over the desktop when you select the Widgets area on the taskbar or press Windows+W.
You can still pin, arrange, resize, and customize widgets in that board. The steps below use the current Windows 11 interface.
Open the Windows 11 Widgets board
Use any of these methods:
- Select or hover over the Widgets area on the taskbar.
- Press Windows+W.
- Swipe from the side of the screen if your taskbar is aligned to the center and your device supports the gesture.
If the Widgets button is missing, restore it from the taskbar settings:
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
- Select Taskbar settings.
- Under Taskbar items, turn Widgets on.
Turning this button off only removes the taskbar shortcut. It does not disable Widgets; Windows+W will still open the board.
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Pin a widget in Windows 11
- Open the Widgets board.
- Find the widget you want to keep visible.
- Select the widget’s More button, shown as three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Select Pin widget.
A pinned widget displays a pin icon and remains in the pinned section of the board. If the widget you need is not available, use the Widgets gallery or Microsoft’s Widgets page in the Microsoft Store to find supported apps that supply widgets.
Arrange and resize pinned widgets
Move a widget
Select and hold the widget’s header, then drag it to another position within the pinned section.
Change its size
- Select the widget’s More button.
- Choose Small, Medium, or Large.
Not every widget supports all three sizes. Some offer only one or two size choices.
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Expand the board
Select the Expand button on the Widgets board for a larger view. The same control becomes Collapse when the board is expanded.
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Customize a widget
Many widgets have their own settings. Select More on the widget, then choose Customize widget. For example, you can change the city used by Weather or modify the watchlist shown by Stocks.
Remove a widget
There are two different removal options:
| Action | Path | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Unpin | More → Unpin widget | Removes it from the pinned section, but it may still appear elsewhere on the board when it is relevant to your interests. |
| Hide completely | More → Hide this widget | Removes it from the board and signs you out of the associated app or service. It will not return unless you pin it again through the Widgets gallery. |
Stop Widgets opening when you hover
If moving the pointer over the taskbar keeps opening the board, change this setting:
- Open the Widgets board.
- Select Settings.
- Set Open Widgets board on hover to Off.
Hide the news feed
You can keep pinned widgets while removing the article feed:
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- Open Widgets and select Settings.
- Select Show or hide feeds.
- Set Feed to Off.
This hides the feed; it does not remove your individual pinned widgets.
Control Widgets notifications
From the Widgets board, open Settings, then select Notifications. You can configure:
- Show notification badges on the taskbar
- Show announcements on the taskbar
These announcements and badges are not shown on the taskbar during a Focus session, so their absence may be expected rather than a Widgets problem.
Change topics, publishers, language, or account
Widgets content is personalized using the Microsoft account signed in to Windows.
- To manage content, select the user-account button in Widgets and use the Discover, Following, and Blocked tabs.
- To change the language or content region, select the user-account button and use Language and content.
- To use another Microsoft account, select the user-account button, choose Sign Out, then select Sign in on the opening banner.
Windows display language and Country or region settings also influence the default content shown.
Fix widgets that do not load or show stale information
Widgets rely on two separately updated components: the Windows Web Experience Pack and Microsoft Edge. If the board is blank, content is outdated, or newer widget features are missing, update both components.
Check the Windows Web Experience Pack manually
- Open Microsoft Store.
- Select Library in the lower-left corner.
- Search for Windows Web Experience Pack.
- Select it, then select Update if that button is available.
If the Store does not show an Update button, Microsoft considers the installed version current. To enable automatic Store updates, select your profile icon in Microsoft Store, open Store settings, and turn App updates on. Also install any pending Microsoft Edge updates and restart Windows afterward.
Can you put a Windows 11 widget directly on the desktop?
Not with Windows 11’s built-in Widgets feature. Microsoft documents widgets as cards in the Widgets board and does not provide a native desktop-placement command. Claims that Windows 11 lets you drag its built-in widgets onto the desktop describe an older, different, or third-party feature—not the current built-in Windows 11 interface.
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How do I add widgets to my Windows 11 desktop?
Windows 11 does not natively place built-in widgets directly on the desktop. Press Windows+W or select Widgets on the taskbar to open the Widgets board, then use More → Pin widget to keep a widget in its pinned section.
Why can’t I see the Widgets button on my taskbar?
Right-click the taskbar, select Taskbar settings, and turn Widgets on under Taskbar items. You can also open the board with Windows+W even when the taskbar button is hidden.
How do I keep a widget from disappearing?
Use the widget’s More button and select Pin widget. An unpinned widget may still appear elsewhere on the board, while Hide this widget removes it completely until you pin it again.
Can I remove the news feed but keep my widgets?
Yes. Open Widgets → Settings → Show or hide feeds, then turn Feed off. This hides the feed without removing pinned widgets.
What should I update if Windows 11 Widgets are not working?
Update the Windows Web Experience Pack through Microsoft Store → Library and install pending Microsoft Edge updates. Widgets depend on both components.
The Bottom Line
Windows 11’s built-in widgets live in the Widgets board, not directly on the desktop. Press Windows+W, pin the cards you want, then move, resize, and customize them from the board. For widgets that remain visibly on the desktop, you would need a separate third-party application.
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