Microsoft finally ditched MSN’s junk food in Windows gadgets

Microsoft is stopping showing junk MSN news feeds when you open widgets in Windows 11. After allowing Windows 11 users to disable the MSN news feed over two years agoMicrosoft says it will soon hide them by default as part of an effort to make widgets “quiet by default.”

“We’re working to make Widgets less distracting and cumbersome by making them silent by default,” says Microsoft. “To do this, we are testing new updates designed to reduce unexpected information and visual distractions.”

Microsoft plans to prevent widgets from opening when you hover over the taskbar, and turn off annoying badges by default. The widgets panel will open for widgets instead of the default MSN feed, and Microsoft will also minimize “taskbar notifications until you choose to open and engage with Widgets.”

These changes should make the experience less annoying, especially since the widget section usually contains stock information, weather, or random MSN news. We hope that it will make widgets in Windows a very useful part of the operating system, instead of something that many users have avoided.