On Windows 11, the Widget board opens automatically once you hover over the weather icon in the Taskbar. Although this gives you quick access to the latest feed, it is not something everyone wants since you can accidentally open the widget more times than you want to use the feature.
If you want to keep the entry point in the Taskbar but don’t want to open it on hover, the Widgets settings now include an option to disable the board from opening as you hover over the button on Windows 11.
This guide will teach you the steps to prevent the Widgets board from automatically opening when hovering over the weather icon in the Taskbar of Windows 11.
Disable Widgets on hover on Windows 11
To prevent the weather widget icon from opening on hover in the Taskbar, use these steps:
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Open Widgets board (Windows key + W).
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Click the Profile button in the top-right corner to open the Widgets settings.
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Turn off the “Show widgets on hover” toggle switch to prevent accidentally opening the board by hovering over the weather icon in the Taskbar.
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(Optional) Turn off the “Show widgets badging” toggle switch to remove unnecessary distractions.
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(Optional) Turn off the “Show widget rotation” toggle switch to disable dynamic content from rotating in the Widgets icon in the Taskbar.
Once you complete the steps, you will have to click the Widgets icon to open the board, and depending on your settings, the icon will no longer show dynamic content to prevent unnecessary distractions.
If you can’t find the option, you may not be running the version of Windows 11 that includes the new settings. Also, at the time of this writing, Microsoft is only rolling out the option to some users until it’s ready for broader deployment.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].