Surprise! Microsoft rolled out a taskbar “Weather and News” widget in June 2021. And it is a mess. The widget is running MSN.com all the time in the background, and uses the Edge browser. I do not use either. Besides, you have to go through a myriad of screens to configure the widget. Microsoft is trying to make money by posting ads through the widget. Let’s explore how to remove this feature.
This is for devices running Windows 10
It’s pretty hard to miss when it appears. You will see a weather forecast in a small box next to the clock and notification area. Selecting the widget opens a panel with more weather info, stocks, sports scores, news, and more. For me, I do not need or want this widget running MSN.com in the background. I can get the widget “cards” info when I want it.
You already have the news and weather through Live Tiles on the desktop. You really do not need duplicated access.
Interesting, if you move the taskbar to the top, left, or right on the screen, the widget disappears. Bug or feature? I think it’s a bug. But, who knows. When Windows 11 arrives in the fall, the UI will change to be Mac-like, a revamped tablet interface, among many other modifications. Microsoft may fix the widget by then.
Fortunately, it’s easy to get rid of it. First, right-click anywhere on the taskbar to load the widget. Refer to below image:
From the menu, select News and interests and then click Turn off from the submenu. See below image:
The weather widget will no longer be present in your taskbar. If you would like to bring it back at any time, simply open the same menu and select Show icon and text.
Alternatively, you can also select Show icon only for a smaller widget that takes up less room on your taskbar.
Quote For the Day
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.
Carl Sagan
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