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Configure Widgets notifications from the Widgets board itself, not from the taskbar’s general behavior settings. Press Windows key + W, select Settings, open More settings > Notifications, then choose whether taskbar and navigation-bar badges appear and which dashboards may notify you. Discover notifications have a separate control in the Discover dashboard. Windows-wide and per-app notifications remain under Settings > System > Notifications.
Which Windows 11 setting controls each kind of notification?
Windows 11 has several notification surfaces that look related but are controlled separately. Widgets-specific options live in the Widgets board. The taskbar’s Widgets switch only controls whether the Widgets button is visible; it does not replace the board’s notification preferences. Windows’ normal notification center and app alerts use a different Settings page.
| What you want to change | Where to change it | What the control affects |
|---|---|---|
| Show or hide a Widgets badge on the taskbar | Widgets board > Settings > More settings > Notifications | The badge indicator on the taskbar Widgets item |
| Show or hide a badge on the Widgets navigation bar | Widgets board > Settings > More settings > Notifications | The badge shown on the Widgets board’s navigation bar |
| Allow notifications from individual dashboards | Widgets board > Settings > More settings > Notifications | Dashboard-specific notifications, such as updates associated with available Widgets dashboards |
| Choose Discover notification types | Discover dashboard > account button > Notifications | Notification categories generated by Discover |
| Show or hide the Widgets taskbar button | Right-click taskbar > Taskbar settings > Taskbar items > Widgets | Visibility of the button, not the board’s notification preferences |
| Manage Windows or app notifications generally | Settings > System > Notifications | Windows-wide and per-app notification behavior |
This separation explains why changing a setting in Windows’ main Notifications page may not remove a Widgets badge, and why hiding the taskbar button does not erase the Widgets board or its saved preferences.
Configure Widgets taskbar badges
A taskbar badge is an indicator that Widgets considers an important notification missed. Microsoft also describes rotating announcements as brief taskbar updates. Opening the Widgets board provides more information about what caused a badge.
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- Open Widgets by selecting it on the taskbar, or press Windows key + W.
- Select the Settings button on the Widgets navigation bar.
- Under More settings, select Notifications.
- Find Show badges on the taskbar.
- Turn the switch On to allow the badge or Off to suppress it.
Turning this switch off removes the Widgets badge from the taskbar, but it does not disable every notification source inside Widgets. Dashboard switches and Discover preferences remain independent, so configure those separately if you also want to stop the underlying dashboard notifications.
Control badges on the Widgets navigation bar
The board has its own navigation bar, which is distinct from the Windows taskbar. If you do not want a badge inside the Widgets experience even when you permit other Widgets notifications, use the second badge switch.
- Open Widgets with the taskbar button or Windows key + W.
- Select Settings.
- Choose More settings > Notifications.
- Set Show badges on the navigation bar to On or Off.
This setting changes the badge shown on the Widgets navigation bar; it is not the same as Show badges on the taskbar. You can leave one enabled and the other disabled when you want an indicator in only one location.
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Choose which dashboards can notify you
The same Widgets notification page contains Dashboard notifications. Use these individual controls when you want some dashboard updates but not all of them. Widgets can present weather and updates from areas such as sports, finance and breaking news; the dashboards available to you determine which individual switches appear.
- Open the Widgets board.
- Select the Settings button on its navigation bar.
- Go to More settings > Notifications.
- Scroll to Dashboard notifications.
- Turn each listed dashboard notification On or Off according to your preference.
For example, you can leave weather notifications enabled while turning off sports or finance updates. Disabling a dashboard’s notifications does not remove that dashboard from the board; it only changes whether it is allowed to notify you.
Personalize Discover notifications separately
Discover notification categories are configured from Discover, rather than from the dashboard switches described above. This extra layer is easy to miss because Discover is part of the Widgets experience.
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- Open the Widgets board and select Discover.
- Select the user account button.
- Open the Notifications tab.
- Customize the notification types shown there.
Use the Discover account area when the notification is tied to Discover preferences. Use Dashboard notifications in Widgets settings when it is tied to a specific dashboard. These are separate paths, so changing one does not automatically change the other.
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If your goal is to remove the Widgets icon from the taskbar rather than change badges, use taskbar customization:
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
- Select Taskbar settings.
- Under Taskbar items, find Widgets.
- Toggle Widgets on or off.
Hiding this taskbar item does not disable access to Widgets. Microsoft states that the board remains available with Windows key + W. Therefore, this toggle is a visibility choice, not a master off switch for Widgets notifications. If you hide the button but leave notifications configured, use the keyboard shortcut to open the board and review the relevant settings.
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Widgets notifications versus Windows notifications
Use Windows’ general notification page for alerts generated by Windows or installed apps, not for the Widgets-specific badge and dashboard switches:
- Open Settings.
- Select System.
- Select Notifications.
This page contains Windows-wide and per-app notification controls. It is the appropriate place to manage an app’s banners, sounds or notification permission when that app is the source. Widgets’ taskbar badge, navigation-bar badge and dashboard controls remain in the Widgets board under More settings > Notifications.
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| Symptom | Start here | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A dot or badge appears on the Widgets taskbar item | Widgets > Settings > More settings > Notifications | The taskbar badge has its own Widgets switch |
| A badge appears inside the Widgets board | Widgets > Settings > More settings > Notifications | Navigation-bar badges are controlled separately |
| An installed app sends a Windows notification | Settings > System > Notifications | Windows’ general notification system controls app alerts |
| You want to stop one subject area from notifying | Widgets dashboard notification switches | Dashboard controls are granular by dashboard |
| You want to change Discover categories | Discover > account button > Notifications | Discover preferences use a separate tab |
What announcements and badges mean
Widgets can use the taskbar for two related but different signals. Rotating announcements are brief updates surfaced on the taskbar. A badge indicates an important notification that you may have missed. Open Widgets to see more information about the event behind a badge instead of assuming that every taskbar change is a Windows notification-center alert.
These signals are not displayed on the taskbar during a focus session. Microsoft Support states: “When you’re in a focus session, widgets’ announcements and badges are not displayed on the taskbar.” This suppression affects the taskbar presentation during the session; it does not change the switches you selected in Widgets settings.
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Practical configurations
Quiet taskbar, available Widgets board
- Set Show badges on the taskbar to Off.
- Set Show badges on the navigation bar to Off if you also want the board itself to stay visually quiet.
- Review each item under Dashboard notifications and disable subjects you do not want.
- Open Discover’s account button and adjust its Notifications tab separately.
This leaves the board accessible through Windows key + W while reducing notification indicators.
Keep only useful dashboard updates
- Leave Show badges on the taskbar enabled if you want a visible prompt for important missed Widgets notifications.
- Enable only the dashboard categories you follow, such as weather or finance.
- Turn off unrelated dashboard categories rather than disabling every Widgets badge.
- Use Discover’s own notification tab for Discover-specific categories.
Remove the taskbar button but retain keyboard access
- Right-click the taskbar and open Taskbar settings.
- Under Taskbar items, turn Widgets off.
- Press Windows key + W whenever you need the board.
- If the board still shows unwanted indicators, change its notification switches from the board’s Settings > More settings > Notifications page.
Troubleshoot unexpected Widgets notifications
The taskbar still shows a badge
- Open Widgets and verify Show badges on the taskbar is set to Off.
- Check whether you are seeing an announcement rather than a badge; the two signals have different meanings.
- If you are in a focus session, remember that announcements and badges are suppressed on the taskbar during that session, so the absence of a signal is expected.
- Open the Widgets board to inspect what notification or dashboard update triggered the indicator before changing additional settings.
A dashboard continues to notify
- Return to Widgets > Settings > More settings > Notifications.
- Review every switch under Dashboard notifications, not just the taskbar badge switch.
- If the message originates in Discover, open Discover > account button > Notifications and change the relevant notification type there.
You cannot find the Widgets button
- Press Windows key + W; hiding the taskbar item does not remove this access route.
- To restore the button, right-click the taskbar, select Taskbar settings, and turn on Widgets under Taskbar items.
Changing Windows notifications had no effect
Check that you changed the correct control surface. Settings > System > Notifications manages Windows-wide and per-app alerts, while Widgets badges and dashboard notifications are managed inside the Widgets board. Reopen the Widgets settings page and adjust the Widgets-specific switch that matches the behavior you want to change.
Recommended order for a clean setup
When configuring a new Windows 11 installation, use this order so each notification source is covered once:
- Open Widgets with Windows key + W.
- In Settings > More settings > Notifications, decide whether taskbar and navigation-bar badges should appear.
- Set each Dashboard notifications switch for the subjects you actually follow.
- Open Discover’s account button and configure its Notifications tab.
- Decide separately whether the taskbar’s Widgets item should be visible.
- Finally, use Settings > System > Notifications for Windows and app alerts unrelated to Widgets.
This sequence keeps the taskbar-visibility choice separate from notification permission and prevents a general Windows notification setting from being mistaken for a Widgets control.
Quick Recap
Key points to remember
- Widgets taskbar badges are configured inside Widgets under More settings > Notifications.
- Navigation-bar badges and taskbar badges have separate switches.
- Dashboard notifications can be enabled or disabled individually.
- Discover notification types use the Discover account button and its Notifications tab.
- Turning off the taskbar’s Widgets item hides the button but leaves Windows key + W access available.
- Widgets announcements and badges do not appear on the taskbar during a focus session.
- Windows-wide and per-app alerts are managed separately under Settings > System > Notifications.
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