Have you ever turned on a new PC or updated Windows only to find weather and news updates cluttering your taskbar? A large search bar also takes up valuable space, crowding your taskbar after opening just a few apps. Here is how to clean up your screen in just a few clicks.
Quick Summary
- Turn off Windows 11 Widgets: Right-click an empty area on the taskbar → [Taskbar settings] → Toggle [Widgets] to [Off]
- Shrink Search Bar: Under [Taskbar settings], go to the [Search] menu and select [Search icon only] or [Hide]
- Keep Shortcuts: Even with icons hidden, open Widgets anytime with
Win + Wand Search withWin + S- Turn off Windows 10 News: Right-click taskbar → [News and interests] → [Turn off] (Support ends October 14, 2025)
Turn Off the Weather Widget in Two Clicks
You can turn off the weather widget on the Windows 11 taskbar directly from the settings menu. Right-click any empty space on the taskbar and select [Taskbar settings].
When the settings window opens, toggle the switch for [Widgets] under ‘Taskbar items’ to [Off]. The weather and news icon will disappear from your taskbar immediately.
Even after hiding the icon, you can always bring up the widgets board using the shortcut (Windows logo key + W).
| Operating System | How to Disable | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Right-click taskbar → [Taskbar settings] → Toggle [Widgets] Off | Win + W |
| Windows 10 | Right-click taskbar → [News and interests] → [Turn off] | – |
Shrink the Bulky Search Bar: 4 Available Options
You can also shrink or completely remove the wide search box sitting on your taskbar. It is like taking a bulky pen holder off a crowded desk and putting it in a drawer.
Right-click the taskbar and open [Taskbar settings] again, then check the ‘Search’ dropdown menu. You can choose one of four display modes to match your workflow.
| Search Option | Display Style | Recommended When |
|---|---|---|
| Search box | Full-length input bar | Keeping the default layout |
| Search icon and label | Magnifying glass + ‘Search’ text | Text label is preferred |
| Search icon only | Small magnifying glass icon | Saving taskbar space |
| Hide | Completely removed from taskbar | Maximizing taskbar room |
Even if you set Search to ‘Hide’, you can still access search anytime by pressing (Windows logo key + S) or simply opening the Start menu and typing.
How Much System Resource Usage Does Disabling Widgets Save?
Windows 11 widgets run on the ‘Windows Web Experience Pack’ and ‘Microsoft Edge WebView2’ engine. In the background, Widgets.exe and related processes run continuously to update real-time news and weather feeds.
According to analysis from IT management platform Atera, widget platform processes can consume hundreds of megabytes during routine use with multiple feeds active, often exceeding 250MB. Disabling feeds helps prevent background data traffic and unnecessary memory usage.
While some online creators have claimed the weather app consumes 1.2GB to 1.6GB of memory, these figures are not verified in official technical documentation. Additionally, toggling the setting off hides the icon and stops rendering the feed, though specific background process behavior may vary depending on your system configuration.
Right-click an empty spot on your taskbar now to turn off widgets and the search bar, creating a cleaner, more spacious workspace.