Microsoft plans to let users pin Widgets to the desktop on Windows 11

[Windows Central]

Microsoft is working on a new feature that will let users pin widgets to the desktop on Windows 11, bypassing the need to open the Widgets Panel first.

Microsoft plans to let users pin Widgets to the desktop on Windows 11 : Read more

 

[MBY]

I get that they want to increase engagement with widgets, which makes sense. But to do this, why not add them where people already go, which obviously seems to be the Start menu! I feel like that is self-evident from the Window 10 Live Tile design, but I think MS is currently so allergic to putting things in Start.
Putting these on the desktop seems like a sure-fire way to get a cluttered experience, and to accidentally screenshare a widget with sensitive info. Like a calendar widget with an upcoming medical appointment...

 

[jasqid]

For the love of God, add the ability to login in with both personal and work accounts for the widgets. Calendar and ToDo are basically useless without them.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

I'm so tired of MS going backwards in progress. I hate the Win 11 Start Menu - it's such a huge degradation from Win 10. Moving backwards to widgets is just another crazy move. I shouldn't have to pay for a 3rd party app to give me back the better start menu and not have to resort to Win7-esqe widgets.

 

[Kaymd]

I get that they want to increase engagement with widgets, which makes sense. But to do this, why not add them where people already go, which obviously seems to be the Start menu! I feel like that is self-evident from the Window 10 Live Tile design, but I think MS is currently so allergic to putting things in Start.
Putting these on the desktop seems like a sure-fire way to get a cluttered experience, and to accidentally screenshare a widget with sensitive info. Like a calendar widget with an upcoming medical appointment...

Yeah, they are extremely allergic to anything reminiscent of 'Live Tiles' aka WP/Windows mobile.
Ironically, that's exactly what keeps me using Win10 on my main workstation. I have Win 11 installed on some laptops, but it's functionally inferior to Win10. Long live live tiles lol!

 

[MBY]

Yeah, they are extremely allergic to anything reminiscent of 'Live Tiles' aka WP/Windows mobile.
Ironically, that's exactly what keeps me using Win10 on my main workstation. I have Win 11 installed on some laptops, but it's functionally inferior to Win10. Long live live tiles lol!

Eh, after seeing Android widgets, Live Tiles are clearly inferior. Widgets could be a better replacement. If they build them out and put them where people can access them, while keeping a clean UI.

 

[xenred]

I hope this isn't a half baked implementation that Microsoft tends to do. But this is promising and hopefully it is pretty solid on first launch and will continue to improved (not abandoned like many features and ideads). Ideally I want it on Start menu, but clearly Microsoft is still allergic to this, they haven't even reimplemented Jump List in Start menu which is a Windows 7 feature. It is only available in Taskbar and oddly on App List only.

Having Widgets on desktop makes it always available as long as nothing covered on them. On desktop with huge monitors or multi monitors , this more useful since on big screen, it's not always practical to have everything maximized. On multi-monintors, user can dedicate all widgets on 2nd monitors if not used for windowed apps.

The experience will be basically like on Android, iOS and kinda like Windows Mobile of old when minimising apps/returning to home screen. Windows have dedicated Show Desktop button on the Taskbar to replicate that.

Though for those who wants always on Widgets, Microsoft should also make current Widgets panel docked to the left screen. Similar to Vista Sidebar Gadgets which is on the right. Yes, there is Edge Sidebar, but not really the same since that's only for MS and its only meant for Edge users, and frankly not a great UX anyways.

I hope that Widget grid on desktop is smart even when resolution and monitor changes. Like when docked and unlocked on laptop and tablets. It needs to remember its position on each state. Also should also hibernate when let's say running full screen games. Live Tiles were really efficient that it has negligible impact on system performance, even you pin heaps on Start screen/menu.

 

[xenred]

For the love of God, add the ability to login in with both personal and work accounts for the widgets. Calendar and ToDo are basically useless without them.

Yep, this! This will be useful on work PC if only theu thought about this. The problem though the current To Do and Outlook Widgets only open Edge as Web apps. On work PC which dominated on using actual apps, this is a no go. Outlook widget should open Outlook APP, not a browser. Same goes with To Do, which is really pointless to open a browser when dedicated app does all of the features already, on far more compact window. Who use To Do apps on maximized? Too much wasted space.

 

[Kaymd]

Eh, after seeing Android widgets, Live Tiles are clearly inferior. Widgets could be a better replacement. If they build them out and put them where people can access them, while keeping a clean UI.

In my experience, I still think Live Tiles are a superior implementation of Widgets - if done right. Reference examples of excellent Live Tiles implementation are myTube, Newsflow, Reddplanet (when it was actively developed), and built-in apps like Mail and Calendar, Weather, Photos, MS Money, etc. There are probably many more high-quality examples.
These are really well-done Live Tiles, that feed you truly useful information and updates in a blazing fast, smooth, convenient interface. Without taking up any permanent real estate on your desktop. Just click the start button, glance at the relevant group of tiles on a resizable Start canvas and move on. I am not ever leaving the built-in Weather Live Tile on Win10 -- it's just that good, especially in the large tile size. An elegant, no-frills presentation of weather information for the next five days.
Now we are left with the inferior Widgets of Win11 -- clunky, slow, web-based implementations that I disable as soon as I setup any Win11 system. Trash in comparison with Win10 Live Tiles in presentation and performance. A huge step backwards imho. The only consolation is that Win10 is still around, so I don't care as much.