If you’re looking to tidy up your Windows 11 taskbar and get rid of that pesky Weather widget, you’re not the only one. Honestly, that thing can pop up uninvited and make your taskbar look busier than it needs to be. Luckily, it’s pretty straight forward to ditch it, but fair warning — you might hit a few quirks along the way. Sometimes the toggle won’t work straight away, or you might have to dig a bit deeper if it doesn’t disappear after the usual steps.
How to Remove Weather from Your Taskbar in Windows 11
Getting rid of the Weather widget mainly involves tweaking your taskbar settings. The main reason this works is because Microsoft added the option to turn widgets on and off — so just flick it off if you don’t want the weather popping up every few minutes. When you do this, the weather icon should vanish straight away—at least most of the time. On some setups, you might need to restart File Explorer or reboot your PC for good measure. Classic Windows — always making things a bit more complicated than they need to be.
Step 1: Right-click on the Taskbar
Start by right-clicking on an empty spot on your taskbar. Not on an app or icon, just a blank space. That’ll bring up a menu with a few options. Here’s a tip: if you accidentally click a pinned app, just give it another go by clicking somewhere else. Sometimes the menu shows options like “Taskbar settings” right there, but not always.
Step 2: Click on “Taskbar Settings”
In that menu, select Taskbar settings. That’ll open up a “Personalisation” window focussed on your taskbar. Honestly, this is where Windows lets you customise almost everything, so it’s good to have a poke around that pane.
Step 3: Find the “Widgets” toggle
In the taskbar settings, look for the Widgets toggle switch. It’s usually right up top or within a section called “Taskbar Items.” The trick is to make sure you actually see the toggle — sometimes, Windows hides it behind other options or shifts its position after an update.
Step 4: Turn off the Widgets toggle
Just click that toggle to switch it off. Sometimes it might be a bit slow — it could lag a second or two — but on most setups, the weather icon should disappear straight away. If it doesn’t go away, a quick restart of Windows Explorer or the PC itself usually does the trick. Not sure why, but a refresh often clears out that stubborn weather bubble.
Step 5: Close the Settings window
Once you’ve flipped the switch, just close the window. The changes should stick, and the weather widget should be gone from your taskbar for good. Just remember — on some systems, the toggle can come back after updates, so if that happens, just run through these steps again.
If that still doesn’t fix it, here’s where things can get a bit tricky: occasionally, Windows caches the widget’s state, or a background process keeps it stuck. In those cases, restarting your PC or signing out and back in usually helps. For the real stubborn ones, ending the “AgentWorkInProgress” task in Task Manager or resetting the taskbar via PowerShell can do the trick — but that’s more advanced stuff.
Tips for Removing the Weather Widget in Windows 11
- Make sure to right-click on an empty space on the taskbar, not on an app or icon, or you might get weird options or accidentally open an app.
- If the toggle doesn’t stick, try restarting Windows Explorer (hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find “Windows Explorer” in the Processes tab, right-click, then select Restart).
- On some setups, disabling the widget via Settings might get reset after a Windows update, so be prepared to run through these steps again down the track.
- While you’re there, you can also turn off other bits like Search or News Feed if they’re cluttering your taskbar.
- Quick tip: pressing Win + i opens Settings fast, so you can jump straight to tweaking without faffing around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I see the Weather widget on my taskbar?
Most likely, it’s already been turned off or hidden. Double-check in Settings > Personalisation > Taskbar and ensure the Widgets toggle is off. Sometimes, a restart or update resets your settings.
Can I remove other widgets with the same method?
Yep, the toggle controls all widgets. Turning off Widgets hides everything — Weather, News, Sports, you name it.
Will removing the Weather widget slow down my system?
Nah, it’s just a visual tweak. Disabling the widget doesn’t affect performance. It just clears up your taskbar a bit.
How do I get the Weather widget back if I change my mind?
Easy as — just follow the steps again and flick the Widgets toggle back on. The icon should reappear after a sec or two, sometimes after a restart.
Can I set what info the Weather widget shows?
Absolutely — if you keep it enabled, clicking on it opens a more detailed forecast and settings. You can usually pick your location and what info to show from within the widget itself.
Summary
- Right-click on an empty spot on your taskbar.
- Click Taskbar settings.
- Find the Widgets toggle.
- Switch it off.
- Close Settings and enjoy your cleaner, less cluttered taskbar.
“Hopefully, this helps you save a bit of hassle. Good luck, mate!”