Microsoft Windows 11 KB5040546 beta experiments with latest widgets UI, custom feed

Microsoft has been constantly tweaking the Widgets panel in Microsoft Windows 11’s Insider channels. We beforehand reported some helpful adjustments within the Widget board’s format. For instance, Microsoft moved the Widgets board to a latest spot when the taskbar was aligned to the left. KB5040546 adjustments the UI once more and provides customized feed suppliers within the EU.

The KB5050546 updates brings Microsoft Windows 11 Build 22635.4000, which incorporates this hidden characteristic. As Phantom observed on X, Microsoft has already formally introduced a latest Widgets board expertise for customers within the European Union.

“We are rolling out an updates to the Widgets Board to improve security and the APIs for creating widgets and feeds for users in EEA regions,” Microsoft famous. The latest expertise contains higher management over privacy and latests feeds, however it additionally brings a latest design based mostly on WinUI 3.

We have already reported that the Widget board can have a navigation pane on the left aspect to allow you to swap between Feed and Widgets. Now, Microsoft is rebuilding some elements of the Widgets board with WinUI 3 tips in thoughts.

Currently, the Widgets board makes use of Edge WebView, which might typically be sluggish and really feel misplaced. This adjustments with KB5040546 the place the Widgets board makes use of WinUI3, which appears a lot better than the previous WebView2 engine.

However, the change presently seems unique to EEA customers as a result of Microsoft needed to announce two interoperability factors after the EU intervened.

In our checks, Microsoft Windows Latest observed that Microsoft eliminated many widgets from the widget picker. You should go to the Microsoft Store to obtain them. This change can also be unique to Europe.

Custom feed suppliers are a distant dream

EEA customers will quickly have a number of feed suppliers out there, whereas the remainder of the Microsoft Windows customers can sulk within the nook. However, there hasn’t been any announcement that third-party feed suppliers will probably be out there to all customers sooner or later.

Microsoft additionally helps you to disable the default feed within the Widgets board. When you disable the default Microsoft Start feed after which click on on the “Add more feeds” choice, Microsoft Store launches. It solely shows the Edge browser as an choice. So, you’re solely left with the widgets pane on the board.

Other adjustments within the KB5040546 updates

Apart from these widget board upgradess, the updates modifies the jumplists on the Taskbar. They launch mechanically if you hover the cursor on any app pinned on the Taskbar.

Note that the jumplist reveals on hover just for apps that aren’t open. If the app pinned on the Taskbar is open, you have to right-click it to open the jumplist.

Besides that, the updates provides a number of bug fixes and a few Voice Access upgradess to the Beta construct.