Windows 11 Widgets can display news, weather, sports, stocks, and other glanceable information. If you do not use the feature, you can hide its taskbar button without uninstalling core Windows components or using registry modifications.
Hide Widgets from the taskbar
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
- Select Taskbar settings.
- Find Widgets under the taskbar items.
- Turn the Widgets switch off.
The Widgets button should disappear from the taskbar. You can return to the same setting and turn it back on later.
Hiding the button is not the same as removing Widgets
This setting primarily changes taskbar access. Windows components that support the Widgets experience can remain installed, and feature updates may change how Widgets are presented.
Reduce unwanted content instead of disabling everything
If you like weather or another widget but dislike parts of the feed, open the Widgets board and review its current personalization, feed, notification, and individual widget controls. Microsoft has changed these options across Windows 11 releases.
Organization policy can control Widgets
Administrators can manage Widgets on work and school devices. If the taskbar control is unavailable or keeps returning, check with IT rather than applying registry hacks or third-party “debloat” scripts.
Avoid removing Windows web components just to hide one button
Scripts that delete system packages can affect other Windows features and may be reversed or broken by updates. The supported taskbar toggle is the lowest-risk solution when the goal is simply a cleaner desktop.
If Widgets are causing performance problems rather than visual clutter, install current Windows updates and identify the actual process/resource usage in Task Manager before making broader system changes.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.