- Microsoft makes available dynamic content for the Taskbar’s Widgets icon.
- The new update will bring sports, finance, and breaking news alerts in addition to weather.
- You can turn the feature off if you don’t want to see notifications.
On Windows 11, Microsoft is now rolling out an updated version of the Taskbar widgets system with dynamic content for all users. Although the Widgets icon in the Taskbar has been able to show notifications for weather for some time, the update brings more alerts with new animations for sports, finance, and breaking news information.
According to the company (via The Verge), typically, you will see weather information, but if something important happens, the icon will show the latest announcement. These notifications are meant to be quick and glanceable. After some time, if you don’t interact with them, the Taskbar will return to the weather information.
The feature has been in the works for some time, and it was previously expected to arrive with version 22H2, but the company is making it available now through a new Windows Web Experience Pack update.
Although this feature may be useful for many people, it’s not something everyone wants since it can add unnecessary distractions.
If you don’t need this feature, you can permanently remove the Widgets icon from the Taskbar by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turning off the Widgets toggle switch from the “Taskbar items” section.
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].