Removing the news widget from the taskbar in Windows 11 sounds pretty easy—just right-click, hit some toggle, and boom, it’s gone. But sometimes, it’s not that straightforward. Maybe the toggle’s missing, or the setting mysteriously won’t apply. Or worse, the widget stubbornly hangs around even after toggling off. Kind of frustrating if you’re trying to keep your desktop clean and distraction-free, especially if you’re just want to focus on your apps. This guide walks through some common fixes to disable that pesky news feed – because Windows has a weird habit of making it harder than it needs to be.
How to Remove News from Taskbar Windows 11
Fix 1: Double-check the Taskbar Settings Menu
First off, the usual way is to right-click the taskbar then pick Taskbar settings. But sometimes, the “Widgets” toggle doesn’t appear, especially if your system isn’t fully updated or if there’s some group policy blocking it. So, the first thing to do is ensure your Windows 11 is on the latest build. Head to Settings > Windows Update and check for updates. On some setups, the toggle might not show up if your version is outdated or if your admin set restrictions.
Once updated, right-click the taskbar again, open Taskbar settings, and look for the Widgets toggle. If it’s there, switch it off. You should see the news widget vanish immediately. If it’s missing or greyed out, move on to the next fix.
Fix 2: Use Group Policy Editor or Registry Hack
If you’re on Windows 11 Pro or higher, the Widgets toggle could be disabled via Group Policy. To check that, hit Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > News and interests. If you see settings there that say “Enable news and interests on the taskbar,” make sure it’s set to Disabled. This effectively blocks the widget from showing up.
If using Group Policy isn’t an option (say, on Windows Home), you might need to do a registry edit. Open Registry Editor via Windows + R, type regedit, then go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdateLook for a DWORD called DisableNewsAndInterests. Set it to 1 to turn off news and interests on the taskbar. Not sure why it works, but in some cases, this blocks the widget from loading altogether. Of course, messing with registry can be risky if you’re not careful—so back things up first.
Fix 3: Turn Off the Widget Service
Sometimes, Windows runs a background service for the news widget that keeps it running even if the toggle is off. You can try stopping that service manually. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Look for something like Windows Widgets or News and Interests. Right-click it, select Stop, and set its startup type to Disabled. This messes with Windows’ attempt to bring the widget back online without your permission. On some machines, this is the fix that finally keeps it from reappearing.
Fix 4: Reset Taskbar Settings Using Powershell
If the above steps fail, resetting the taskbar itself might help. Open PowerShell as Admin (Windows + X > Windows PowerShell (Admin)) and run:
Get-AppxPackage MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS | Reset-AppxPackageOr, for a more thorough reset of Windows components that affect personalization, you could try commands like:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthand
sfc /scannowThese are more global fixes meant for system integrity, but they can oddly help if settings refuse to stick or if the widget stubbornly re-enables after toggling off.
Lastly, Check for Updates & Patch Notes
Because of course, Windows has to make it the hardest sometimes. The news widget and its toggles often get tweaked in major updates or patches. So, make sure your system is fully updated, and check the official release notes—sometimes features are temporarily disabled or buried in bugs. Go to Settings > Windows Update and see if there’s any news about recent changes.
Quite a few folks report that after a major update, the news widget behaves weirdly or options go missing. So, if nothing works, a quick reinstall of Windows shell or a system restore might do the trick, but most times these fixes are enough.
Summary
- Make sure Windows is up to date
- Right-click taskbar > Taskbar settings > Toggle off Widgets
- If missing, fiddle with Group Policy or registry tweaks
- Check & disable the background Widgets service
- Reset Windows components via PowerShell if needed
Wrap-up
Getting rid of that news widget isn’t always as simple as flipping a switch—Windows loves to complicate things, especially with settings that seem to disappear randomly. If you’re tired of the clutter, trying these steps might help, but expect some trial and error. Sometimes, just updating Windows or restarting a service can do more than you’d think. Fingers crossed, this makes your desktop a little less noisy and a lot more yours.