Windows Widgets: A Practical Guide
Real-world widgets, constraints, patterns, shipping —
learn how to build Windows widgets that actually work.
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Articles
Microsoft has killed widgets six times
The full history of Windows widgets, from 1997 to today. 30 years of building, shipping, killing, and rebuilding the same idea.
Create your first Windows Widget
Step-by-step from zero to working widget. Project setup, templates, API integration, debugging, and deployment.
Explainers
What are Windows widgets?
The Widgets Board in 2026, what "quiet by default" changed, and how to add, tame or turn widgets off.
What is Widgets Platform Runtime?
The mystery package in your Store updates: what's inside it, whether it's safe, and why you shouldn't uninstall it.
Windows 11 has two Widgets boards
A native one at ~51 MB and a WebView2 one at ~134 MB. One hidden feature flag picks yours. How to switch, how to undo, and how I found the flag.
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