In Windows 11 Insider build 26212, released in early May 2024, new widgets appeared in the Start menu. These “helpers” allow users to create their own custom widgets to enhance the Start menu.

Any application can become a helper widget by adding certain entries to its manifest file, including the path to the JSON file serving as the data source. Microsoft chose the JSON format to output data to the Adaptive Cards interface, which monitors and updates widget content based on changes in the JSON file.

Users can view up to two companions at a time in the Start menu; one to the left and one to the right of the main content. However, additional companions can be enabled and viewed in alphabetical order through the “Personalization” section of Windows settings.

For example, the “Connect by phone” application has its own widget that displays the phone connection status, battery level, access to main functions and a list of recent events.

How to enable mini widgets

To enable companion support, users need to enable feature ID 48697323 using the ViveTool utility, enable developer mode in Windows Settings, download the widget code sample from GitHub, run the .sln project file in Visual Studio 2022 or later, build the app, and sihost to refresh the Start menu. Restart the exe or restart your computer.