How to Add or Remove Widgets on Windows 11 Taskbar

What Are Widgets in 🪟 Windows 11?

Windows 11 widgets are like small apps that give you quick updates right on your taskbar 🖥️. You can see things like your local weather, current news headlines, or stock prices without opening a full app or web page. Clicking the Widgets button opens a board filled with these helpful updates.

• Weather for your area.
• Current news.
• Stock market prices.
• Sports scores.

When you click the Widgets button on your taskbar 🖥️, a special board opens with these updates. They are meant to give you information fast without needing to open a full web browser.

Option 1The Easy Way Using Settings

This method is built right into Windows 11.

Step 1Open Windows Settings

Press the Win+I on your keyboard together. Alternatively, click the Start button ⊞ and then click the Settings gear icon.

Step 2Go to Personalization and Taskbar Settings

In the Settings window, click on Personalization in the left-hand menu. On the right side, click on Taskbar.

Step 3Change Taskbar Items

The Taskbar items section contains a switch labeled 'Widgets.' Toggle the switch on to show the Widgets button, or turn it off to hide it from the taskbar.

The adjustment appears on your taskbar immediately, with no computer restart required.

Step 4Close Settings

You can now close the Settings window. Your taskbar will reflect your chosen setting.

Option 2Using the Registry Editor (For Advanced Users)

You can add or remove the Widgets button on your Windows 11 taskbar using the Registry Editor (a database for storing low-level settings for the operating system and installed applications). The Windows Registry holds important settings; therefore, back up the Windows Registry before making any changes to avoid problems.

Before you start, it's wise to back up your Registry. Open Registry Editor, go to File › Export, and save a copy of your Registry to a safe place.

Step 1Open the Registry Editor

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard. This opens the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK. You may see a message asking for permission; click Yes.

Step 2Go to the Right Location

In the Registry Editor, find and open this folder path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

You can type this path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor and press Enter, or navigate through the folders in the left panel.

Step 3Find and Change the 'TaskbarDa' Value

Once you're in the correct Registry folder, you need to find a specific setting called TaskbarDa. This setting controls whether the Widgets button appears on your taskbar. If you don't see TaskbarDa, you'll need to create it as a new DWORD value first.

Double-click on TaskbarDa to change it.

Step 4Set the Value Data

• To ADD the Widgets button: Set the "Value data" to 1.
• To REMOVE the Widgets button: Set the "Value data" to 0.

To add the Widgets button, set the value data to 1. To remove it, set the value data to 0. After typing either 1 or 0, click OK, and you might need to restart your computer or Windows Explorer for the change to show up.

To restart Windows Explorer, open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find Windows Explorer in the Processes tab, right-click it, and select Restart.

Step 5Close the Registry Editor

You are finished with the Registry Editor. You can now close the window.

Summary

You can show or hide the Widgets button on your Windows 11 taskbar through the Settings app by going to Personalization, then Taskbar, and toggling the Widgets option. Alternatively, you can use the Registry Editor to change the TaskbarDa value: set it to 1 to show the Widgets button or 0 to hide it.