Unlock a Better Windows 11 Experience: Eliminating the Weather Widget (News and Interests) from Your Taskbar
For many of us navigating Windows 11, the Weather Widget, also known as News and Interests, can be a real annoyance. It’s been a persistent thorn in the side, not only in Windows 11 but also in its predecessor, Windows 10. Instead of adding value, it often distracts with inaccuracies in weather information and clickbait news headlines that do little to enrich our knowledge. It may be a source of revenue for Microsoft, but it doesn’t have to be at our expense.
But enough negativity! In this guide, we’ll show you how to deactivate the Weather Widget and take back control of your taskbar experience
How to remove the Weather Widget from the taskbar on Windows 11
To remove the Weather Widget from the taskbar on Windows 11, follow these steps:
- Right-click any empty spot in the taskbar, and choose Taskbar Settings
- In the Taskbar items section, click the slide next to Widgets to turn it off
- Done! No need to click Apply or OK.
Widget Switch is not available
If you have opened the taskbar settings, but the Widgets switch isn’t there, it’s likely because of a faulty setting or missing Windows Web Experience Pack installation. You can use Windows Powershell to remove, reinstall, and re-register Windows Web Experience Pack:
- Right-click the Start button and click Terminal (Admin).
- Select Yes on the User Account Control pop-up.
- Run the following commands. Press Enter after each command: winget uninstall “windows web experience pack“
winget install “windows web experience pack“
Get-AppXPackage *WebExperience* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
- Exit the Terminal Windows / PowerShell.
- Open the Settings app and go to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar items. The Widgets switch should now be visible.
Remove Weather Widget in Windows 10
The News and Interests widget was introduced in Windows 10. Earlier, I wrote another blogpost on how to remove it: https://itexperience.net/turn-off-weather-widget-in-taskbar-windows-10/
