On Windows 11 build 25211 and higher releases, you can now enable a preview of the new settings page for the “Widgets” feature on your computer. In future update releases, plans to separate the widgets pickers from the settings page, which now adds new options to control the Widgets experience. For instance, you will now be able to disable opening the Widgets board when hovering the weather icon in the Taskbar. And you’ll be able to turn off badge notifications and dynamic content to reduce distractions.
If you want to get hands-on with the new feature, you can use a third-party tool called “ViveTool” created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub, to enable the option on your computer.
This guide will teach you the steps to turn on this new feature on Windows 11.
Enable Widgets settings on Windows 11
To enable the new Widgets settings on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the Widgets settings.
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Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
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Click the Extract all button.
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Click the Extract button.
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Copy the path to the folder.
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Open Start.
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Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:
cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.3.1
In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.
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Type the following command to enable the Widgets settings page and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:38652916
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Restart the computer.
Once you complete the steps, the next time you click the profile menu, the Widgets settings will open with the newly available options.
If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step No. 10, make sure to use these commands: vivetool /disable /id:38652916and then restart the device.
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].