With the February update to Windows 11 - you have the option to disable MS start to feed from the Widget Settings. Requires Windows 11 23H2 at least.
How to disable news and interest in Windows 11 widget
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Anonymous
I want to keep the widget on my task bar, however I don't want the new stories to show. I've hide a bunch of them and they still end up showing, but I'm constantly having to hide them all since there are sooooo many. How do I disable the top stories, and the news and interest without turning off my widgets. I ONLY want the weather to show.
I've uninstalled microsoft news but I'm still seeing the news stories.
Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings
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Anonymous
I would suggest that you completely remove the the Widgets app from your taskbar - see here -and pin the Weather App to Start / Taskbar.
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Anonymous
2023-06-28T14:19:33+00:00 It's utterly amazing that it took over 6 pages of comments/replies for people for the MVPs to actually read and understand what OP was asking for.
Very simple: We like the widgets panel, we just dont want the "My Feed" news links. Thank you to whoever posted the link above where Microsoft finally announced they will add this feature.
It seems like such an obvious and simple solution; "What do you want to see on your Widgets panel?"
Having widgets tile down vertically is ridiculous, and contrary to the whole raison-d'etre of glanceable data. At that point, I would just open up Outlook/To-Do/Spotify/browser.
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Anonymous
2023-06-28T14:35:23+00:00 We like the widgets panel, we just dont want the "My Feed" news links.
Even if the widgets are hidden, they still use data.
Unless you registry hack to completely remove the widgets, they continue to update and use data.
So, everyone with their widget panel hidden, are still downloading Microsoft news data.In addition to wanting complete control over what widgets are on the panel, I want the option to tell widgets to NOT update or download data unless I open the panel.
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Anonymous
2023-06-28T17:00:05+00:00 I think the key issue here is to provide that flexibility rather than impose a feature on every one. Some people might like the 'News Feed' for e.g. whilst others don't. It makes sense to select what you want. What I don't get is why the option to disable the 'mouse-over' effect was removed from Windows 11. It's a backward step from Windows 10 in my view and for something as simple as that, I would rather stick with the older version because I want an app to start up only when I want it to by clicking on it.
It's indicative of the subtle but imposing/controlling approach Microsoft is now using. Like you can't setup a new computer now without a Microsoft account or internet connection, and the constant nagging reminder to create a 360 account. Even Apple that started this practice of linking your mac to your Apple ID don't go that far.
Please don't get me wrong, because I have several Microsoft accounts; but I did so because I loved the product not because I was forced to.