Microsoft is ready to let Windows 11 users install third-party widgets from the Store

According to the latest findings from tech blogger FireCube (@FireCubeStudios), Microsoft looks to be preparing to allow third-party developers to create and distribute custom Windows 11 widgets through the Microsoft Store.

In fact, just a few days after Microsoft launched Windows 11, there have been many rumors about the software giant's new operating system will have third-party widgets. At that time, rumors were that initially there would only be widgets from Microsoft, but in the future the third-party widget installation feature will be updated. It can be said that this is a policy that has been expected by the developer community and Windows users for a long time, but it is not until now that it has been considered and implemented by Microsoft.

Third-party services will make the Windows Widgets space much more useful in everyday use scenarios. Currently, users are only provided with some basic first-party widgets, namely Microsoft. Such as calendar, to-do list, photos from OneDrive, weather, traffic, etc. The lack of support from the community of third-party developers makes Windows Widget quite 'poor' and 'half-baked' great', especially when compared to the rich widget ecosystem on iOS and Android, leading to the lack of meeting the needs of users.

You can access Windows Widgets by pressing Win + W, clicking the widget button on the taskbar, or swiping from the left edge of the screen towards the touchscreen. Microsoft is also using the bottom left corner of the screen to display the weather widget on the taskbar, and many are looking to replace it with a third-party option. This is a clear demonstration of the user's need to use rich widgets.

Notably, during the recent Windows 11 talk event, Microsoft also introduced an updated Windows Widgets space with a full-screen user interface, providing more space to hold all the widgets. third parties from favorite developers.

It's still unclear when Microsoft will roll out third-party widgets for Windows 11. However, with specific benefits already pointed out, the time when the feature is announced is probably not far away.

Kareem Winters

Update 19 April 2022