How to Customize or Remove the Widget on Windows 10

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Since a recent update, Windows integrates a widget in the taskbar. Useful to stay in touch with the news, it can however be annoying. But you can take control of it and even remove it.

Contents

  • Customize the News widget
  • Disable the News widget

The graphical interface of Microsoft’s system evolves in small steps with each update, and sometimes new functions are added. One example is the News widget, which has been placed on the right-hand side of the taskbar. This widget appeared with the KB5001391 system update, which started to be deployed last April, but it is not available to everyone. Microsoft is proceeding in a progressive way in order to analyze and correct possible bugs. If it is not present on your PC, there is no need to try to activate it. You have no choice but to wait until your computer receives it in a future update. For all those who have seen it appear in their taskbar, simply move the mouse pointer over it and a pane will instantly unfold, displaying several tiles that show the new program.For all those who have seen it appear in their taskbar, simply move the mouse pointer over it and a pane will instantly unfold, displaying a weather report, national, international and sports news, as well as a map showing traffic conditions according to the location of the PC. The organization of the tiles and their themes can be customized to your taste.

Unfortunately, the position of this widget in the taskbar is not the most practical. Indeed, you never fail to move the mouse pointer over it when you want to open the taskbar drawer placed just to its right. You then have to move the mouse pointer somewhere else to close it (no need to click on the desktop or to click with the right mouse button). Fortunately, Microsoft has provided several possibilities to avoid an unfortunate opening. And, if the widget really bothers you in your daily use of Windows, you can always disable it.

How to customize the content of the News widget in Windows 10?

You don’t care about sports news or stock quotes, but you want to know the latest technological, scientific or cultural news? You can customize the News widget as you like, even if you don’t have a Microsoft account.

  • Hover your mouse pointer over the News widget on the right side of the taskbar. In the unfolding pane, click on the Customize link at the top of the pane.
  • Immediately, the Edge browser launches (even if it’s not your default browser). It presents the My Interests page from the MSN web portal. This is linked to your Microsoft account, if you have one, or to a default profile if you don’t use a Microsoft account for your Windows session.
  • Click the + button on each tile that you find interesting.
  • When your choices are made, display the content of the News widget again. Click on the curled arrow icon at the top of the widget to update the content.
  • You can also remove tiles that you find unnecessary. Click on the three ellipses at the top right of the tiles you don’t like. In the menu that appears, choose Hide (followed by the name of the tile). It will disappear immediately.
  • Some tiles, especially those that link to news articles, only have a simple cross-shaped button. By clicking on it, you can hide the article from your feed.
  • You can then give a reason why you are hiding this article so that you will see less of this kind of article appear in your news feed.

How to disable the News widget in Windows 10?

Is the presence of the News widget in the taskbar disrupting your use of Windows? There are two solutions: reduce its size or disable it completely.

Reduce the size of the widget

  • By default, the widget shows the weather in the taskbar, in a rather imposing way. You can reduce it to a simple icon. Right-click on it or on a blank area of the taskbar. In the menu that appears, choose News and Fields of Interest and then click on Show Icon Only.
  • The News module becomes less cumbersome.

Disable the widget

  • If the presence of the widget disturbs you too much, you can simply deactivate it. Right-click on it or on a blank area of the taskbar. In the menu that appears, choose News and Fields of Interest and then click Disable. It will then disappear from the taskbar. To put it back, you just have to repeat this operation.

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