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
2021-10-27T20:40:47+00:00 The problem is that removing the widgets app from the task bar doesn't stop the widget app from accessing and downloading all of the things in the widget. it will still download the articles and top stories, ect.
Just like how removing Outlook from the task bar will not stop outlook from checking your email.
I have already went to personalize my interests and unchecked everything. Yet, my widget is still full of articles windows thinks I am interested in.
The widget window will continue to use resources even though it has been removed from the task bar. So, how do we stop the widgets from continuing to include "top stories" and other items?
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Anonymous
2022-01-14T15:43:26+00:00 What I'm saying is NONE of these work. I hide the stories and the stories still show (plus there are thousands of them). Plus I DO NOT WANT TO GET RID OF THE WHOLE WIDGET, since I want the other widget, however I DO NOT WANT THE NEWS AND INTEREST WIDGET.
You keep also giving me links for windows 10 which is useless since I have windows 11.
Not sure what nobody seems to get here but is there a way to turn off everything below the add widget button - can't be anymore clear than that.
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Anonymous
2022-01-14T17:04:23+00:00 Not sure what nobody seems to get here but is there a way to turn off everything below the add widget button - can't be anymore clear than that.
While the method to "to turn off everything below the add widget button" makes the widget stop showing, It does not stop the news widget from accessing data.
I have removed the news and interest widgets, but according to my resource monitor, the news and interest widget continues to use data. This means the widget is NOT actually turned off, it is just hidden.