How to Enable or Disable Widget Announcements on Taskbar in Windows 11
Widget announcements on the Windows 11 taskbar display live news, weather updates, and sports scores right next to the Start button. They first appeared in Windows 11 Insider build 25211. They let you check fast facts without opening the full Widgets panel.
Before you change anything, check that your PC meets these requirements. The feature will not show up, or its settings will be missing, if one of them is not met:
- Windows version: Build 25211 is an Insider build number and is not much use on its own. Treat Windows 11 22H2 as the minimum for retail installs. Current releases, including 24H2 and 25H2, have the feature.
- Widgets must be enabled. If the Widgets entry on the taskbar is switched off, there is nothing to announce.
- Windows Web Experience Pack: This Microsoft Store component runs the Widgets board. If it is out of date, widgets can be blank, stuck, or missing options. Open the Microsoft Store, go to Library, and run the updates.
- Region: The news and weather feed is not offered in every region. If it is not available where your PC is set, you may get limited widgets or no announcements. You can check your region under Settings Time & language Language & region.
Turn off taskbar widget badges or announcements if they distract you. You can do it from Settings or from the Widgets board. Both ways control the same behavior.
To turn off widget announcements on the Windows 11 taskbar, open Settings Personalization Taskbar, expand the Widgets entry, and switch off the badges or announcements option. The taskbar icon stops showing alerts right away, with no restart needed. To remove the Widgets button entirely, switch off the Widgets toggle.
Method 1Settings
- Open Settings Personalization Taskbar.
- Under Taskbar items, find the Widgets toggle. If it is off, the Widgets button is hidden and no announcements appear at all. Turn it on if you want widgets but fewer pop-ups. Turn it off to remove widgets completely.
- If you only want to stop the badges and announcements, expand the Widgets entry and switch off the badges or announcements option. You should see the option change right away. The taskbar icon stops showing alerts.
The exact label differs a little between builds. On some it reads “Show badges” or “Show announcements”, and on others the option only appears in the Widgets board settings, as described below.
Method 2Widgets board
- Click the Widgets button on the taskbar, or press Win+W, to open the Widgets board.
- Select your profile picture or the Settings icon at the top of the board. The Widgets settings page opens.
- Find the taskbar option for badges or announcements and set it to show or hide. Use Hide to stop the pop-ups and Show to bring them back.
You do not need to restart for either method. To undo the change, repeat the steps and pick the opposite setting. If you cannot find the option at all, go back to the requirements above. Widgets are probably off, or the Web Experience Pack needs an update. Widgets and this setting are the same on Home and Pro.
Troubleshooting Widget Issues
Experiencing widget problems? If widgets fail to work correctly, a conflict with third-party taskbar mods or a glitch in the Windows Explorer process might be the cause. Third-party customization software like Windhawk often conflicts with the default widget board layout. If you installed a taskbar mod around the time the problem started, disable it first and see whether the announcements return.
Restarting Windows Explorer
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. If it opens as a small window with no tabs, click More details at the bottom.
- Find Windows Explorer in the list on the Processes tab. It is under Windows processes, or you can scroll to it.
- Right-click it and select Restart. The taskbar should flicker or vanish for a second or two and then reappear. Open the Widgets board again to see if it responds.
Taskbar Orientation and Alignment
Windows 11 is built for a standard horizontal taskbar, and third-party layout changes interfere with widget animations. If you use a tool to move the taskbar, turn that change off or uninstall the tool, then restart Windows Explorer as described above. The announcements should return once the taskbar is back in its default position.
Summary
Managing widget announcements in Windows 11 requires understanding that widget rotation is actually a feature called ‘Show announcements.’ You can turn it off under Settings Personalization Taskbar or from the Widgets board settings, and it only works when Widgets is on, the Windows Web Experience Pack is up to date, and your region has the feed. Troubleshooting UI bugs involves restarting Windows Explorer and identifying why third-party taskbar mods often interfere with default widget behavior.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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