How to Hide the Damn Widget Board in Windows 11 (Before It Hides Your Sanity)

Let’s face it—Windows 11 brought a lot of sleek design upgrades, but it also decided we all needed a daily dose of news, weather, and TikTok-level distraction shoved in our faces via the Widget board. You know, that slide-out panel of chaos that appears when you accidentally hover near the left corner of your screen like it’s a digital landmine?

Yeah. That thing.

If you, like me, don’t need your PC to pretend it’s a psychic weatherman or motivational quote machine, then here’s how to hide the damn Widget board—with a little humor and all the tech know-how you need.

Method 1: The Quick and Painless Way (Taskbar Settings)

Let’s start with the easy button:

1. Right-click an empty spot on your Taskbar.

2. Click on Taskbar settings. Windows will pretend it’s being helpful.

3. Under Taskbar items, look for Widgets.

4. Toggle that sucker OFF. Boom. You’re free.

If that’s all you needed, congrats. Go reward yourself with a cookie. If not, keep reading.

Method 2: The Hardcore “I Never Want to See This Again” Way (Group Policy)

This method is for the Windows 11 Pro folks who like a little more control and a lot less BS.

1. Hit Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.

2. Navigate through the maze:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets

3. Double-click Allow widgets.

4. Choose Disabled, hit Apply, then OK.

5. Reboot if needed, and bask in the peace and quiet.

No more widgets. No more surprises. Just you and your taskbar, drama-free.

Method 3: The Hacker-In-Your-Own-Registry Way (Home Edition Users)

For Home edition users who Microsoft apparently doesn’t trust with Group Policy, don’t worry—we can still go full ninja using the Registry Editor.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Cue dramatic music.

2. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Dsh

Don’t see “Dsh”? Right-click Microsoft, hit New > Key, and name it Dsh like a pro.

3. Inside Dsh, right-click on the right side, choose:

New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it:

AllowNewsAndInterests

4. Double-click it and set the value to 0.

5. Restart your PC. Say goodbye to widgets and hello to a cleaner workflow.

Final Thoughts

Widgets can be fun—for about 11 seconds. After that, they’re just one more distraction standing between you and getting anything done. Luckily, Windows 11 gives you options (even if they’re buried deeper than your high school MySpace profile).

Now go forth, hide that damn Widget board, and reclaim your taskbar like the productivity god/goddess you are.