Microsoft is rolling out a new update that enables full-screen widget mode in Windows 11 22H2.
On Windows 11, you can open the widget panel through the taskbar, and there is a small component icon next to the Start menu that you can click to open the panel, which opens on the left side of the screen by default.
If you are using Windows 11 22H2, a new Windows Web Experience Pack (423.2300.0.0) is now available for download from the Microsoft Store. This update adds a new “Extensions” button to the top right of the widget panel. When this button is clicked, the widget will open full screen on the desktop.
Full-screen widgets in Windows 11
According to internal information, the use of widgets has not skyrocketed since Windows 11 22H2, however, Microsoft sees widgets as a trend at the moment and has no plans to abandon this feature anytime soon. This is likely the reason why widgets will soon receive a major upgrade, namely support for third-party widgets.
The first third-party widget is reportedly from Facebook, allowing users to view Messenger conversations directly on the widget board.
Support for third-party widgets is currently limited to beta testers in the Windows Insider program, but a broader rollout is expected later this year.
