Windows 10: Windows 11 will let users choose the widgets that appear on the lock screen

Windows 11 will soon let you personalize your lock screen to a greater extent. Microsoft is currently testing an option that allows users to pick which widgets will be displayed when the computer is locked.

In its current state, Windows 11's only option to customize the widgets experience is "Weather and more", which displays the weather info, some random news headlines, a stocks widget, and a couple of other widgets. The only other choice that users have is to disable the experience completely, which is what many users do, because they do not like the default widgets or the content that they display.

This is changing, Microsoft has announced a new Lock Screen experience for testers that will allow you to select what widgets appear on the screen. In order to do this, you will need to change some options under the Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Essentially, you can choose to add new widgets, or remove existing widgets to declutter the lock screen, That's not all that's changing, Windows 11 also lets you rearrange the widgets. Microsoft says that these options will be available for the following widgets: Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more.

The official announcement says that "Any widget that supports the small sizing option can be added here.", which likely means that third-party widgets will be supported.



While we are on the topic of Widgets, Microsoft is also making a change to the Widgets board that you can access from the Windows 11 Taskbar. This panel now supports multiple dashboards, to allow users to add as many widgets as they want. The widgets board has a new navigation bar on the left, using which you can switch between multiple boards.

The changes to the lock screen widgets experience is currently rolling out to users in the Windows Insider Program, and have opted in to the Beta channel. It won't be long before these features make their way to the stable release of Windows 11.

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Lock Screen Weather Widget Disappeared after applying Windows 11 23H2 update

Dear Peter,

Thank you for providing clarification regarding your internet situation.

In addition to considering network factors, here are the steps and points you should take into account:

1. Create a New User Account: You can create a new user account to verify if the lock screen properly displays weather and other advisories under the new profile. Follow these steps:
   
   • Open the Settings app on your Windows device and navigate to Accounts > Other users.
     
   • Click on "Add account" and enter the required account information:
     
     • If the person already has a Microsoft account, enter their email address.
       
     • If they don’t have a Microsoft account, you can create one using their email address.
       
     • Alternatively, if you prefer a local account, choose "Add a user without a Microsoft account" option.
       
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup of the new account.
     
2. Check Group Policy Settings (Available on Windows 11 Pro):
   
   • If you are using Windows 11 Pro, you can manage Group Policy settings to control widgets and notifications on the lock screen.
     
   • Search for and open "Group Policy" from the Start menu.
     
   • Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets.
     
   • Here, you can configure settings related to weather and other content on the lock screen. Setting it as "Not configured" enables weather and more by default. Disabling this setting turns off weather and more on the lock screen as well as widgets on the taskbar.
     
   • Additionally, manage app notifications on the lock screen through: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon > Turn off app notifications on the lock screen.
     
   • Enabling this policy prevents app notifications from appearing on the lock screen. Disabling or not configuring this policy allows weather, notifications from apps, and more to be displayed on the lock screen.
     

If you follow these steps and still encounter issues, please feel free to reach out again. I'm here to assist further with resolving any concerns you may have.

Best Regards,

Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Windows 10 pro lock screen widgets only shows 1

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

If your Windows 10 Pro lock screen is only showing one widget and looks different after an update, it may be due to changes introduced in the update or a configuration issue. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Review Lock Screen Settings:
   
   • Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Ensure that the Background is set to a preference that supports widgets, such as Windows Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow.
     
   • Below the Background option, you should see a dropdown menu for choosing apps to show detailed and quick statuses. Make sure you have selected the apps you want to show on the lock screen. Note that some backgrounds may limit widget functionality.
     
2. Check Group Policy Settings (For Windows 10 Pro users):
   
   • Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
     
   • Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization.
     
   • Look for the settings Do not display the lock screen, Do not display network selection UI, and any other settings that might affect the lock screen. Ensure they are not configured in a way that would limit lock screen functionality. If any setting is configured, try setting it to Not Configured or Disabled, then apply the changes.
     
3. Run the Troubleshooter:
   
   • Windows 10 includes various troubleshooters that can automatically fix common problems. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Select Windows Store Apps and run the troubleshooter. Even though it's for Store apps, it can sometimes resolve issues affecting system features like the lock screen.
     
4. Check for Corrupted System Files:
   
   • Open Command Prompt as Administrator by right-clicking the Start button, choosing Command Prompt (Admin), or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
     
   • Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This will scan for and attempt to repair corrupted system files.
     
5. Reset Personalization Settings:
   
   • If none of the above steps work, consider resetting your personalization settings. Go to Settings > Personalization and reset settings like Background, Colors, and Lock screen to default to see if this resolves the issue.
     
6. Create a New User Profile:
   
   • If the problem is specific to your user profile, creating a new user profile might resolve it. Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC and follow the prompts to create a new account. Check if the issue persists on the new account.
     

Let me know if you need further assistance.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Lock screen apps not showing up on lock screen

Correct - since the widgets are customisable per user profile