Windows 11 Widgets could become a bigger problem in the future, as Microsoft released a Windows Insider build on the Dev Channel that includes a new full-screen Widget window.
This is important because – at least in my opinion – Windows 11 Widgets fall far short of what they might be in terms of usefulness or customizability. The fact that Microsoft is changing the way Widgets work makes me confident that the company knows they need to do so and is willing to spend time improving them.
Of course, since this is based on a build submitted through the Windows Insider Program’s Developer Channel which is used to test Windows features and updates before rolling out to the public, there is no What guarantees the changes we see in that build will make their way to the version of Windows 11 that most people use. However, the language in the blog post (opens in a new tab) Microsoft has announced Windows Insider Preview Build Build 25201 showing that this expanded full-screen Widget view is sure to appear on Windows 11 in the near future — after Microsoft has had time to test and refine it.
“We’re starting to roll out expanded view to Widgets. We’ll first start rolling it out to a small group of Insiders in the Dev Channel so it won’t be visible to everyone right away” , excerpt of the post writes. “This experience is not yet available to all Insiders as we plan to monitor feedback and see what it will look like before making it available to everyone.”
That’s the big change in this build of Windows 11, but it’s not the only one. In addition to the list of minor fixes and improvements, Microsoft is also updating the Game Pass utility to let you actually sign in with your Xbox profile.
This gives the add-on even more value, as you can now log into your Xbox profile through the Xbox PC app and expect to see an auto-updating list of recently played games. yours right in the widget. You can also view your most recently played Game Pass games on your PC and return directly from the widget.
This is a very small upgrade that offers features that should have been included in the Game Pass add-on when it launched last month. To be fair, Microsoft has dubbed it a “preview” of this add-on, giving its developers plenty of room to keep updating the Game Pass widget and adding new features.
Windows 11 Outlook
While these new Widget features are exciting, it’s still unclear when Windows 11 owners will be able to see them. I highly doubt that they will be part of the major Windows 11 2022 update slated to come out next week (September 20 to be exact).
This will be the first major Windows 11 update since the new operating system launched in October 2021, and some of the coolest new features include Live Captions (so you can get the right subtitles). fit on basically any video), improved Snap Layout options and a smarter Start menu. That update will be followed by at least one more major feature update before the end of the year, according to the Windows 11 2022 update schedule launched earlier this year.
This is good news because Windows 11 needs some work. As I stated in my original Windows 11 review, Microsoft’s latest operating system is solid, but not particularly appealing if you’re already satisfied with Windows 10.
The new Windows 11 Widgets are particularly disappointing because they seem like a good idea, but are greatly limited by seemingly arbitrary limitations. There are only 11 for starters (up from 8 or so at launch) and they offer pretty limited value.
An auto-updating widget showing stock prices or local weather is useful enough, but for the most part Windows 11 Widgets are only as good as your investment in Microsoft’s platform. If you’re not signed in to your Microsoft account, utilities like Mail and Photos (actually Outlook and OneDrive) won’t get much use.
Worse, the auto-updating news feed fills the Widget panel with news stories that limit the sources you can get news from, which greatly reduces its utility. If I can’t put my favorite sites on the Widget panel so I can quickly see their latest updates with one click (or by tapping Windows key + W), What’s the point of even using it instead of, say, a browser bookmark?
Here’s the basic problem with Windows 11 Widgets: Microsoft hasn’t given a good reason why you should use them instead of whatever tools you used to get the information they provide. grant. Until Microsoft does, the Widgets panel won’t appear and go unnoticed on my personal PC.
Of course, Microsoft has plenty of time to work on them, and the fact that Windows 11 will soon allow third-party Widgets gives me hope for the future of Windows 11. With native Android app support finally over online (after being released by MIA) and the prospect of a more diverse and useful Widget menu in the future, Microsoft is well on its way to convincing me to upgrade my personal PC from Windows 10.
Now if the company can stop Windows 11 from forcing people to have a Microsoft account to install it, I’ll smash that update button right now.
