Full-screen widgets are coming to a future Windows 11 update
Check your Xbox gamerscore in style
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A better view for your widgets inWindows 11is finally happening thanks to a recent Insider build that’s available to download.
If you’re a member of theWindows Insider programon the Dev Channel (which allows you to installWindows 11updates that are made up of features that are in testing) you can try out a new view of widgets where they cover your desktop in build 25201.
Widgets are in fashion currently, withGoogleandApplealso implementing them in new and different ways to help us manage important information at a glance. At the moment, theiPhone 14 lineshowcases them as a headline feature on the Lock Screen, but there’s plenty of untapped potential ondesktop PCs, something thatApplehas yet to do inmacOS Ventura.
This is most likely why we’re seeing widgets be improved in Windows 11, to not only get there first but to do it in a way that makes sense for theoperating systemondesktopsandlaptops.
Widgets are ‘in’ this year
Widgets on Windows have been around sinceWindows Vista, when they were called ‘Gadgets’. They were slow, locked to the right-hand side, would crash constantly on my laptop, and barely any were useful; Eventually, they were abandoned byMicrosoftonceWindows 8arrived.
Fast forward to Windows 11 and theupcoming major updateand widgets are making a comeback. It’s telling that Microsoft is already working on improving how widgets work and how they look. WithmacOS Venturascheduled to launch in October with no improvement to widgets on theMac, it’s an opportunity for Microsoft to set the standard for how widgets can work on a PC.
This expanded view will be a big help to further prove this, especially how the improvements to theGame Passwidget will show you the latest games available to play.
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Granted, we may see this feature be delayed for a future update, such as the ‘Moment’ release, but it’s encouraging to already see progress for widgets, and that Microsoft isn’t prepared to leave them by the wayside again.
Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.
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