Explainer · Updated October 2026
What Is Widgets Platform Runtime, and Do You Need It?
Short answer: Widgets Platform Runtime is a Microsoft package (Microsoft.WidgetsPlatformRuntime) that runs WidgetService.exe, the background service that connects the Windows 11 Widgets Board to the apps that supply widgets. It's genuine and small, and it updates through the Microsoft Store. Keep it if you use widgets. If you don't, turn the Widgets button off rather than uninstalling it: Windows will just reinstall it.
What's actually inside the package
The Store listing says almost nothing, so here's what the package contains on a current Windows 11 machine (version 1.6.19.0, October 2026). It has no window and no Start menu entry. It's one executable that registers itself as a COM server:
| COM class | What it does |
|---|---|
| WidgetHost | Lets a host surface (the Widgets Board) display widgets |
| WidgetsCatalog | The list of widgets installed apps offer: what you see when you click + on the board |
| WidgetManager | Lets provider apps push updated content to their pinned widgets |
| FeedHost / FeedCatalog / FeedManager | The same three roles for feeds (the news/Discover side of the board) |
| WidgetApiInformation | Tells apps which widget features this version supports |
The package also ships Microsoft.Windows.Widgets.dll and its .winmd metadata: the same Microsoft.Windows.Widgets API that third-party widget apps are built against. In other words, this is the switchboard. The board asks it what widgets exist, and apps like a weather or system-monitor widget hand it their content.
How it fits with the Widgets Board and Web Experience Pack
Windows Web Experience Pack: the board you see
A separate Store package (MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience) that delivers the Widgets Board experience you open with Win + W.
Widgets Platform Runtime: the service in the middle
WidgetService.exe brokers between the board and every app that provides widgets. It started rolling out to Windows Insiders in 2024, which is when people first noticed an unexplained "Widgets Platform Runtime" in their Store updates.
Widget provider apps: the content
Apps such as Phone Link, Spotify or Witals implement a widget provider. They describe their widgets in their package manifest and send card templates and data through the runtime. They never draw on the board directly.
Is it safe, and can you remove it?
The genuine package is published by Microsoft Corporation, installs under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\, and comes from the Microsoft Store. To check yours, run this in PowerShell:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WidgetsPlatformRuntime | Select-Object Name, Version, Publisher, InstallLocationDon't uninstall it to get rid of widgets. Other Windows packages depend on it, so it comes back on the next Store or Windows update, and in the meantime the Widgets Board can't load any widgets. If you just don't want widgets, turn them off: Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Widgets (toggle off).
The one real removal case: Sysprep. IT admins building images can hit "Package Microsoft.WidgetsPlatformRuntime was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users." Microsoft's guidance is to remove the package for all users (Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers) and run Sysprep immediately, before it reinstalls. See Sysprep fails with Microsoft Store apps.
For developers
When you implement IWidgetProvider with the Windows App SDK, this runtime is the "host" on the other end of every call: CreateWidget, Activate, OnActionInvoked. The catalog that lists your widget in the board's + picker lives here too, so if a user removed the runtime, your widget simply won't appear. For the full provider walkthrough, see how to create a Windows 11 widget in C#.
Frequently asked questions
What is Widgets Platform Runtime?
A Microsoft package that runs WidgetService.exe, the background service connecting widget hosts like the Windows 11 Widgets Board to the apps that provide widgets. It updates through the Microsoft Store and has no window of its own.
Do I need it?
If you use widgets, yes: they won't load without it. If you don't, it does no harm. Turn the Widgets button off in Settings instead of uninstalling, because Windows reinstalls it.
Is it safe?
Yes, when the publisher is Microsoft Corporation and it lives under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\. Check with Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WidgetsPlatformRuntime.
Why is it on Windows 10?
Its manifest targets Windows 10 version 1809 and later, so the Store can install it there. The Widgets Board is a Windows 11 feature, so on Windows 10 it mostly sits unused.
Is it the same as the Windows Web Experience Pack?
No. The Web Experience Pack delivers the board you see. Widgets Platform Runtime is the service layer that the board and widget apps talk to.
Put something useful on your Widgets Board
Free native widgets from the Microsoft Store, built on the platform described above.
Building a SaaS? Get a widget for your product →