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You can turn the Windows 11 Widgets board into a focused dashboard by pinning only the cards you use, arranging and resizing them, changing each card’s settings, tuning the separate Discover news feed, and deciding when Windows may show badges or notifications. Press Windows key + W to open Widgets, or select its taskbar area. The controls described here are built into Windows 11; no accessory, subscription, or other physical product is required.
Microsoft’s support pages do not show a publication or revision date, and labels can vary with Windows updates. If a menu has moved on your computer, use the closest current wording in the Widgets navigation bar or Settings app.
Understand what you are customizing
Windows 11 presents two related but different experiences in the Widgets interface:
- The Widgets board is the dashboard of pinned cards, such as weather, calendar, traffic, sports, stocks, or other available widgets.
- Discover is a personalized news and content feed. It is not another widget card and it does not occupy the same pinned-dashboard area.
This distinction matters when troubleshooting. Rearranging or removing a card changes the board, but it does not by itself change the stories shown in Discover. Conversely, blocking a publisher in Discover does not remove a weather or calendar card. The procedures below keep those controls separate.
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The exact cards, sizes, and options offered depend on the widget installed on your device. A weather card may let you change a city, while a stocks card may let you edit a watchlist. Some cards support Small, Medium, and Large layouts; others expose only one or two sizes.
For Microsoft’s current feature descriptions, see Stay up to date with Widgets in Windows and, for taskbar visibility, Customize the Taskbar in Windows.
Open the Widgets board
- Select the Widgets area on the taskbar. Depending on your taskbar alignment and Windows configuration, it may appear as a weather or other rotating information button.
- Alternatively, press Windows key + W. This keyboard shortcut works even when the taskbar button is hidden.
- On supported touch devices and configurations, swipe from the side of the screen to open Widgets. Availability depends on the device and taskbar setup.
If nothing happens, first test Windows key + W. If the shortcut opens the board, the feature is working and only the taskbar presentation needs changing. If the shortcut also fails, install pending Windows updates and check whether your organization’s policies restrict Widgets.
Build a useful pinned dashboard
Add a widget
- Open the Widgets board.
- Select the plus (+) button to open the widget picker.
- Review the widgets available on your computer. Select the widget you want to add.
- Return to the pinned area and check that the new card appears.
The picker shows what is available on that Windows installation, so lists can differ between devices, accounts, and Windows updates. Adding a card does not require installing hardware or buying a separate product.
Move cards into a practical order
- On the board, place the pointer over the widget you want to move.
- Select and hold the widget’s header, then drag it to the desired position in the pinned section.
- Release when the insertion outline appears.
Put time-sensitive cards where your eyes land first. For example, place weather and calendar near the top for a morning check, then put traffic, sports, or market information below them. The board remembers the arrangement for your Windows user account.
Choose a card size
- Open the widget’s More options menu, usually represented by three dots.
- Choose Small, Medium, or Large, when those choices are offered.
- Look at the resulting layout and adjust the order of cards if the new width changes the visual flow.
Size is a per-widget choice, not a universal board setting. A larger card can expose more forecast periods, headlines, or list entries, while a smaller card leaves room for more cards above the fold. If a size is missing from the menu, that widget does not provide it.
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Change a widget’s information
- Open the widget’s More options menu.
- Select Customize widget.
- Change the settings presented by that card, such as the city used for weather or the symbols included in a stocks watchlist.
- Save or confirm the change if the card displays a confirmation control, then return to the board.
Customization options are defined by each widget. There is no single editor that can change every card in the same way. If a card has no Customize widget command, its provider may not expose additional settings through the board.
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- Open the widget’s More options menu.
- Select Remove widget.
- Confirm if Windows asks you to confirm the removal.
Removing a card only unpins it from the board; it does not uninstall Windows or remove the underlying service. You can add the widget again later through the plus button if it remains available in the picker.
Use a simple layout strategy
A board becomes useful when every card answers a question you actually ask. Before adding more widgets, decide which updates deserve a glance and which belong elsewhere.
- Top row: information you check several times a day, such as weather, calendar, or commute conditions.
- Middle rows: information that is useful but less urgent, such as sports results, finance, or reminders.
- Lower rows: occasional-interest cards that you do not want to dominate the first screen.
Use a larger size for cards where more context saves a click, and a smaller size for cards that only need to show a headline value. After resizing, reopen the board and drag cards again if the visual order no longer matches your priorities.
Tune the Discover news feed
Discover is a separate personalized news dashboard. Its controls affect stories and publishers, not the position or size of pinned widgets. Microsoft says the feed learns from your choices and that changes may take time to appear, so a single click will not necessarily transform the next refresh.
Follow topics and publishers
- Open Widgets and go to the Discover area using its navigation bar.
- Select the account button.
- Open the Discover tab.
- Choose topics or publishers you want to follow.
Following gives the personalization system a positive signal about subjects and sources you want to see. Use specific interests rather than selecting everything; a broad list can make the feed less focused.
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Review or unfollow items
- Open the Discover account controls.
- Select Following to review topics and publishers you currently follow.
- Choose an item and unfollow it when it no longer matches your interests.
Use this list as a periodic cleanup tool. Removing an old interest is more reliable than repeatedly skipping individual stories when your overall preferences have changed.
Block and unblock topics or publishers
- From the Discover account controls, open Blocked.
- Review blocked topics and publishers.
- Unblock an item if you want it eligible for future recommendations.
You can also block content while reading a story. Blocking a publisher is broader than hiding one article, so choose it only when you do not want that source recommended.
Give feedback on individual stories
- On a Discover story, open its More options menu.
- Choose an action such as hiding the story, requesting more like this, or requesting fewer like this.
- Use the publisher controls when the source, rather than just the topic, is the problem.
Feedback is a learning signal rather than an immediate filter. Microsoft notes that updated content appears when new stories meet your personalization settings and that the feed learns over time. If you use Discover on more than one Windows device, signing in with the same Microsoft account helps make personalization available across those devices. Related personalization data can be reviewed through Microsoft’s privacy dashboard.
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Stop the board opening when you hover
- Open the Widgets board.
- Open Widgets settings from the navigation bar.
- Find Open Widgets board on hover.
- Turn the setting off.
This setting changes the trigger for opening the board. It does not hide the taskbar button and does not remove the Windows key + W shortcut.
Show or hide the Discover dashboard
- Open Widgets settings.
- Under Dashboards, locate the Discover option.
- Toggle Discover off when you want a board focused only on your pinned cards, or on when you want the news dashboard available.
Turning Discover off removes that dashboard from the Widgets experience; it does not remove your pinned cards.
Adjust badges and dashboard notifications
- Open Widgets settings from the navigation bar.
- Select More settings.
- Open Notifications.
- Choose whether taskbar and navigation badges and dashboard notifications are enabled.
Badges are indicators shown on the taskbar or navigation controls. Dashboard notifications are separate from the cards themselves, so disabling them does not delete a widget or its data.
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Change Discover-specific notifications
Discover has its own notification preferences under its account button. If you still receive news alerts after changing the general Widgets notification controls, open the Discover account menu and review those preferences separately.
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- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
- Select Taskbar settings.
- Under Taskbar items, turn Widgets off.
Microsoft documents that hiding the taskbar button does not remove the board. You can still press Windows key + W, and supported devices may still open Widgets with a side swipe. This is useful when you want on-demand access without a permanent taskbar control.
Choose the right combination of controls
| Goal | Use these controls | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| See essential information quickly | Add, move, resize, and customize pinned cards | The board’s content, order, dimensions, and card-specific data |
| Reduce unwanted news | Discover Following, Blocked, hide, and more/fewer-like-this feedback | Personalized story and publisher recommendations |
| Prevent accidental opening | Disable Open Widgets board on hover | Hover behavior only |
| Reduce visual alerts | More settings > Notifications, plus Discover account notification preferences | Taskbar badges, navigation badges, dashboard alerts, and Discover alerts |
| Keep the taskbar uncluttered | Taskbar settings > Taskbar items > Widgets off | Taskbar button visibility; keyboard and supported swipe access remain |
| Remove news from the Widgets experience | Widgets settings > Dashboards > Discover off | Discover dashboard visibility, without removing pinned cards |
Troubleshoot common problems
The widget I want is missing
Open the plus button and review the picker rather than searching the pinned board. The picker reflects what is installed and available on that device. If the widget is not listed, its availability may have changed with a Windows update, account state, or service availability. There is no supported board setting that can create an unavailable widget.
The size menu has fewer choices
Size options vary by widget. Open More options and use the sizes shown there; do not expect every card to offer Small, Medium, and Large.
My Discover changes are not visible yet
Personalization is not instantaneous. Continue using Follow, Block, hide, and more/fewer-like-this controls, then allow new stories to arrive. Verify that you are signed in with the Microsoft account whose preferences you intend to use, especially when switching devices.
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Disable Open Widgets board on hover in Widgets settings. If the board still opens when you deliberately move to the taskbar control, hide the Widgets button under Taskbar settings and use Windows key + W when you want the board.
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I hid the taskbar button and cannot find Widgets
Press Windows key + W. Hiding the taskbar item changes visibility, not the keyboard access method. On a supported touch setup, a side swipe may also open the board.
Notifications remain after I changed them
Check both locations: Widgets settings > More settings > Notifications for taskbar, navigation, and dashboard controls, and the Discover account button for Discover-specific notifications. These settings govern different notification types.
A maintenance routine that keeps the board useful
- Once a week, remove cards you have not opened and move your most important card to the first position.
- When a card displays irrelevant information, use Customize widget before removing it; changing a city or watchlist can make the same card useful again.
- Review Discover’s Following and Blocked lists when your interests change.
- Use story-level feedback for isolated problems and publisher blocking for a source you consistently do not want.
- After a Windows update, revisit hover, notification, and taskbar settings because Microsoft can change labels or defaults.
This approach keeps the board compact while preserving the fastest access path for the updates that matter to you.
Privacy and account considerations
Discover personalization is associated with your Microsoft account when you sign in. Using the same account across devices helps carry personalization between them. Microsoft also provides a privacy dashboard for reviewing related personalization data. If several people use the same Windows device, check which account is signed in before changing Following, Blocked, or story-feedback settings.
Pinned-card settings and Discover preferences should be treated separately: changing one does not automatically change the other. That separation lets you keep a compact board while experimenting with a broader or narrower news feed.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist
- Open Widgets with the taskbar control or Windows key + W.
- Use the plus button to add cards.
- Drag widget headers to rearrange the pinned section.
- Use More options for Small, Medium, Large, Customize widget, or Remove widget when offered.
- Manage Discover through the account button, Following, Blocked, and story feedback.
- Turn off hover opening in Widgets settings if it is intrusive.
- Use More settings > Notifications for badges and dashboard alerts.
- Hide the taskbar button under Taskbar settings > Taskbar items > Widgets while retaining Windows key + W access.
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