Microsoft rolls out quieter Windows 11 Widgets by default
Updated
Updated · WindowsLatest · May 5
Microsoft rolls out quieter Windows 11 Widgets by default
15 articles · Updated · WindowsLatest · May 5
The changes are appearing gradually in Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8346, where first launch now shows pinned widgets instead of the MSN feed.
Open-on-hover is turned off, taskbar badges are disabled and animated alerts are limited until users actively open the widgets board.
Microsoft says the move addresses complaints that ad-filled widgets were distracting, though no date has been given for release to all Windows 11 users.
Is the new 'quiet' Windows a true user-first pivot, or a strategy to introduce more subtle, AI-driven monetization later?
As Microsoft's news feed vanishes, how will digital publishers survive the sudden loss of a vital revenue stream?