Microsoft’s relationship with widgets is somewhat mixedWhy deny it? Now with Windows 11 things seem to be going better as users seem to like its implementation and as a result they seem to have found the right formula not only to restore them but also to improve them. The main example of this is of course the support for third-party widgets announced at the beginning of last year, but then we also find other small improvements, but still relevant, such as the test they are already doing to increase their presence, in addition, some animated icons make it more attractive.

Recall that Microsoft’s deep relationship with widgets began in Windows Vista with it sidebar infamous memory, both for its rigidity and excessive resource consumption (although, well, that was due to the widgets themselves, not the bar). Everyone I knew at the time removed the bar as soon as possible and swore, like Scarlet O’Hara, never again.

Microsoft was well aware of what happened and the response was much better implementation of widgets in Windows 7. Those who used this version of the operating system will surely remember that it had a feature that is still well remembered today: the ability to pin widgets to the desktop. Something we have seen years later both on Android and, albeit with a difference of years, also on iOS. But then came Windows 8 with a complete redesign and bye-bye widgets, bye-bye desktop, bye-bye start button and bye-bye basically everything.

An example of deploying widgets pinned to the Windows 11 desktop. Image: WindowsCentral

Microsoft started restoring widgets, albeit to a very limited extent, when Windows 10 was already on the market for a few years, perhaps after verifying that its implementation in mobile operating systems was a complete success. However, they’ve been treading carefully for years, which is easy to understand. Its time has finally come to Windows 11 with the current version of the operating system, and to the news we have already seen, one very relevant and long-awaited one will soon be added.

As we can read in Windows Central, Windows 11 will soon allow you to pin widgets to the desktop, restoring a feature that, as I mentioned earlier, was already present in Windows 7 and which, according to the mentioned publication, is regularly requested by many users of the operating system through the Microsoft Feedback Hub, one of the main tools for feedback. of Redmond to gather feedback from their users. The bad news is that there is currently no set date for its arrival.

Today, the selection of widgets is still very limited, but it can be expected that with this move, with which widgets would gain a lot of ground in Windows 11, their development and verification will grow substantially. For this reason, it is of course crucial that more third-party developments come, although at this point it is also crucial that Microsoft upholds its commitment that they will not negatively impact system performance. Something you can definitely look into implementing widgets in Android and iOS.