On Windows 11 build 25352, you can enable an early preview of the new Widgets picker, and in this guide, you will learn how (via @thebookisclosed). Microsoft is working on a new interface for adding and removing widgets from the dashboard that gives you a visual preview of the widget before pinning. Furthermore, the company has also created a new section in the Microsoft Store app to find and download additional widgets.
The new interface should be available for most Insiders, but if you don’t see the new experience after installing build 23452 in the Canary Channel or build 23430 in the Dev Channel, 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 new Widgets picker on Windows 11
To enable the new Widgets picker on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the new Widgets picker.
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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.x.x
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 new Widgets picker on Windows 11 and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:43040593
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Restart the computer.
Once you complete the steps, the next time you need to add or remove the widgets, you will find a new interface similar to the Settings app to manage widgets in the dashboard.
If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step 10, make sure to use the vivetool /disable /id:43040593 command and then restart the computer.
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 14 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 20 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].