Microsoft has already announced that powerful widgets will be available through the app store in Windows 11, but, contrary to popular belief, Microsoft has yet to reveal its plans to make widgets into an improved version of the original gadgets that were part of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 period.
With a fast peek at pinned gadgets, users may read stock updates and obtain weather forecasts right on their desktop with Windows 7. Gadgets were eventually removed from the operating system, and many users hoped that a comparable feature might be added to Windows in the future.
The approach to widgets in Windows 11 is entirely different, and it is built on the news and interests experience. Furthermore, only web-based widgets that use Microsoft's Adaptive Cards are supported, thus the new widgets feed in the OS is really simply a rebuilt version of the news and interests that you can already use on the taskbar.
Microsoft, on the other hand, is testing support for desktop-based widgets with a feature called'search bar.'
A new floating search bar appears right on the desktop in Windows 11 Build 25120, providing you access to Bing's search bar.
Microsoft is bringing a'search bar' immediately to the desktop, as shown in the screenshot above. Unlike traditional gadgets, the search bar has no extra choices for customising its appearance or performance.
The search bar is similarly fixed in place and cannot be moved.
When you type a query into the search field, you'll get up to six suggestions, similar to Bing.
"To begin evaluating this basic notion and interaction model, the first exploration in this area adds a search box displayed on the desktop that allows you to search the web," Microsoft said in a statement.
However, there is a catch: the search bar does not respect the user's default browser. In other words, if Chrome is your usual browser, the search bar will disregard your preference and forward your search requests to Microsoft Edge.
You can always disable the search bar from the context menu if you don't like it.
The good news is that this might be the start of some form of widget integration on the desktop, and there's a chance that the widgets feature will mature into classic Windows 7 gadgets.
According to an announcement made at the Build 2022 developer conference, Microsoft is working on third-party widget compatibility for the widgets board. Developers would be able to submit their programmes to the Microsoft Store via third-party APIs, which would improve user engagement.
Microsoft is also evaluating support for dynamic widgets and full-screen mode for tablet users internally.
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