Windows 11 is a major update to Microsoft’s operating system, and it comes with a lot of new features. One of the most significant changes is that Windows 11 opens the floodgates for third-party widgets. This means that you can now add custom functionality to your Windows desktop using widgets from companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. This capability is great for adding extra functionality to your desktop, but it’s also great for keeping track of your social media feeds in one place. For example, you can add a widget that displays all of your Facebook updates in one place, or a widget that shows all of your Twitter messages in one place. If you’re not familiar with widgets, this is an excellent time to learn more about them. Windows 11 makes it easy to add them to your desktop, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of this feature. ..
Windows 11 introduced a new panel for widgets, providing easy access to information like weather, upcoming calendar events, and traffic data. Only Microsoft could make widgets, but that has now changed.
Microsoft announced back in May that it was working on a way for third-party applications (software not made by Microsoft) to add their own widgets to the widgets panel on Windows 11. The company has now released a new preview version of its Windows App SDK, alongside Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 2517, which makes third-party widgets a reality. Developers can now start creating widgets for their applications, which can then be used on all Windows 11 PCs after the technology leaves preview.
Microsoft says apps can create a single widget or multiple widgets, which can have a background image, text boxes, multiple buttons, and other functionality. It sounds like how widgets on Android devices and iPhone/iPad function, but with a higher degree of interactivity. Microsoft explains in its documentation, “Widgets are not meant to replace apps and websites, but rather provide frictionless access to most-needed information or often-used functionalities that people can read/trigger right away.”
Importantly, widgets are aimed at “packaged Win32 apps” — it sounds like only apps from the Microsoft Store will be able to provide widgets, but that may change in the future. Microsoft also says that Progressive Web Apps installed through the Edge browser will be able to provide widgets “as part of a future Microsoft Edge release.”
Source: Windows Insider Blog
