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To manage the Windows Widgets experience with Microsoft Intune, create a Windows Settings catalog configuration profile, configure the applicable Widgets policy, and assign it to the intended users or groups. The broad device-scoped control is AllowNewsAndInterests: set it to 0 to disallow Widgets or 1 to allow them. After assignment, verify the result in Intune’s profile and per-setting reports; creating a profile alone does not confirm that devices applied it.
Choose the policy that matches the experience you want to manage
Windows has separate policy controls for broad Widgets availability, the Widgets Board, and Widgets on the lock screen. Their scope and supported builds differ, so select a setting based on the outcome you need rather than treating the names as interchangeable.
AllowNewsAndInterests: broad Widgets availability
AllowNewsAndInterests is the documented device-scoped policy for Windows 11, version 21H2 and later, on Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions, including IoT Enterprise LTSC. Its scope includes the Widgets experience and taskbar content. A value of 1 allows Widgets and is the default; 0 disallows them. See Microsoft’s NewsAndInterests Policy CSP reference for current applicability and values.
DisableWidgetsBoard: disable the Board and its taskbar entry point
Microsoft describes DisableWidgetsBoard as disabling the Widgets Board and removing its taskbar entry point when enabled. The CSP currently marks this setting as applicable to Windows Insider Preview. Do not assume it is a generally available production control; check the target Windows build and the live Intune catalog before deployment. The setting’s applicability is documented in Microsoft’s Widgets Policy CSP reference.
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DisableWidgetsOnLockScreen: control lock-screen Widgets
DisableWidgetsOnLockScreen is also marked for Windows Insider Preview in the CSP. When enabled, it disables Widgets on the lock screen. When disabled or unconfigured, the documented behavior is that Widgets can appear there and are managed in Windows Settings. Confirm the target build’s support before relying on this control in a production deployment; see Microsoft’s Widgets Policy CSP reference.
Create and assign a Settings catalog profile
- In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > Manage devices > Configuration > Create > New policy.
- Choose Windows 10 and later as the platform and Settings catalog as the profile type.
- In the settings picker, search for the applicable Widgets policy. Check its description and applicability against the Windows builds and editions in your target group.
- Add the setting and configure the value that matches your goal. For
AllowNewsAndInterests, use0to disallow Widgets or1to allow them. - Review the profile, then assign it to the relevant users or groups. Because the broad policy is device-scoped, ensure the assignment reaches the devices you intend to manage.
- Allow the devices to check in and receive configuration. Microsoft says the configured settings are applied at the device’s next configuration check-in.
Microsoft documents this workflow in its Settings catalog guidance. The catalog is generated from policy CSPs, but Microsoft cautions that not every setting supported by Intune appears in its device-restrictions documentation. Check the live catalog and the CSP for the target build rather than relying on an older settings list; see the device restrictions configuration guidance.
Verify that devices applied the policy
Use the profile’s status and per-setting reports in Intune to confirm delivery. Per-setting reporting includes counts for successful application, conflicts, and errors, with device-level details to investigate. A conflict can occur when the same setting is configured to different values.
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- Confirm the profile is assigned to the intended users or groups.
- Check whether the target devices have checked in since the profile was assigned.
- Review per-setting results for conflicts or errors, then investigate the affected devices and any competing configuration.
Microsoft’s Settings catalog guidance describes profile and setting status reporting. Treat a created or assigned profile as pending until its device status shows the expected result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the taskbar policy reference maps to Intune
Microsoft’s taskbar policy reference maps Allow widgets to ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/NewsAndInterests/AllowNewsAndInterests and to the Group Policy path Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets > Allow widgets. This is the broad Widgets control, not a synonym for either of the narrower Insider Preview settings. See Microsoft’s taskbar policy settings reference.
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