Windows 11 Allegedly Allows Third-Party Widgets

Since a Windows 11 build appeared a few days ago, more and more information about the new OS has leaked out. There are now indications that Windows 11 will allow third-party widgets providers.

Windows 11 should not only come with the visual revisions – which we have already been able to show in abundance. There are many changes under the hood and a lot that is still being planned but is already in preparation. According to Neowin, a feature is making a return: the widgets option (hidden between the file explorer and the task view). It should be built into Windows 11, similar to how it was in Windows 7 Standard. In the leaked build of Windows 11, the widgets are still limited, but it shouldn’t stay that way for long. Restricted means that initially only the News & Interests already available with Windows 10 could be available as widgets. This information comes from various sources.

This is now reported by the well-known leaker WalkingCat on Twitter, among others. Accordingly, Windows 11 starts only with widgets directly from Microsoft. However, there could also be additional ones that were not previously known. WalkingCat writes that it is already planned that the Windows team will later add support for third-party widgets. It is not clear where exactly this information comes from – in the past, WalkingCat has at least received details of planned innovations through good contacts and trustworthy sources.

Widget API Referencing Missing

Windows tinkerer Rafael Rivera also confirms that he did not find any APIs for third-party widgets in the leaked build. That indicated that the first Windows 11 update won’t ship with support for third-party widgets. However, Rivera has no information on planning for the widgets. Microsoft is expected to present the new Windows 11 at the event announced on June 24th.