Microsoft is building a ‘news and weather’ widget into the taskbar on Windows 10
At-a-glance weather and news is coming to the taskbar on Windows 10 starting today for Windows Insiders.
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What you need to know
Today, Microsoftannouncedthat Windows 10 would soon be getting a news and weather widget integrated into the taskbar, giving you at-a-glance weather and news information with a flyout interface that provides a more detailed overview. The new feature is part of Microsoft’sSun Valleyeffort, which aims to reinvigorate the Windows UX with new features and designs.
The feature is officially called “news and interests” and can be found to the left of the system tray on the taskbar. When minimized, the widget will show you the current weather and any news alerts. Clicking on it will open a flyout with an ad-free experience showcasing the latest news, detailed weather information, and more.
Today, the feature is available in the Windows Insider Dev Channel (Build 21286) and will roll out to the public later in the year.
Microsoft highlights the following features as part of the news and interests widget:
Users can choose to hide the feature if they prefer not to have an information ticker in the taskbar by right-clicking it. Interestingly, the feature requires the new Microsoft Edge to be installed to function. Without it, the new feature doesn’t work. We’re expecting many more features to show up for Windows 10 in the coming weeks, including a refreshed design with rounded corners and more.
In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the news and interests widget coming to Windows 10? Let us know in the comments.
You can learn how to join theWindows Insider Program in our how-to guideand more about today’s announcementfrom Microsoft.
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Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads
