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+--- Thread: Guide to Enabling or Disabling News and Interests on the Taskbar in Windows 10 (/showthread.php?tid=621)
Guide to Enabling or Disabling News and Interests on the Taskbar in Windows 10 - Sneakyone - 09-09-2024
Guide to Enabling or Disabling News and Interests on the Taskbar in Windows 10
The "News and Interests" widget on the Windows 10 taskbar provides quick access to news, weather updates, traffic reports, and more. While this feature can be useful, some users may find it distracting or unnecessary. This guide will show you how to enable or disable the "News and Interests" widget on the taskbar in Windows 10.
Method 1: Using Taskbar Right-Click Menu
The easiest way to enable or disable the "News and Interests" widget is through the taskbar’s right-click menu.
Steps to Disable News and Interests:
1. Right-click anywhere on an empty area of the taskbar.
2. In the context menu, hover over News and Interests to expand its options.
3. To completely remove the widget from your taskbar, click Turn off.
- The "News and Interests" widget will be removed from the taskbar.
Steps to Enable News and Interests:
1. Right-click on the taskbar and hover over News and Interests.
2. Select Show icon and text to display the widget with both the weather icon and text description.
- If you prefer to only show the weather icon without text, click Show icon only.
3. The "News and Interests" widget will now appear on the taskbar with your preferred configuration.
Method 2: Using Group Policy Editor (Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise)
For users with Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, you can use the Group Policy Editor to disable the "News and Interests" widget for all users or specific user accounts.
Steps to Disable News and Interests via Group Policy:
1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. In the left-hand pane, navigate to the following path:
Code:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > News and interests5. Select Disabled and click Apply, then OK.
6. This will disable the "News and Interests" widget across the system.
To enable it again, repeat the steps above and select Enabled or Not Configured instead.
Method 3: Using Registry Editor (For All Windows 10 Editions)
If you don’t have access to the Group Policy Editor (Windows 10 Home users), you can use the Windows Registry to enable or disable the "News and Interests" widget.
Steps to Disable News and Interests via the Registry:
1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:
Code:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Feeds- If it does not exist, right-click on an empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode.
5. Double-click on ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode and set its value to:
- 2 to completely disable News and Interests.
- 0 to enable News and Interests with both icon and text.
- 1 to enable News and Interests with only the icon.
6. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
7. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Method 4: Disabling News and Interests for Work or School Environments
If you're in a work or school environment, your system administrator may have already disabled this feature via Group Policy. If you cannot see the "News and Interests" widget or the taskbar options are grayed out, contact your IT administrator to verify the system’s policy settings.
Method 5: Customizing the Widget Content
If you do not want to completely disable the "News and Interests" widget but would like to customize its content, you can do so by following these steps:
Steps to Customize the Widget:
1. Click on the News and Interests widget in the taskbar.
2. In the expanded widget window, click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of any news card.
3. Select More stories like this or Fewer stories like this to personalize the news feed.
4. You can also click on Manage interests at the top of the window to select topics of interest or remove topics you’re not interested in.
5. You can further personalize the weather, finance, and traffic cards by clicking the settings icon next to each section.
Conclusion
The "News and Interests" widget on the Windows 10 taskbar can be a useful tool for quick access to the latest updates, but it may not be for everyone. Whether you want to enable, disable, or customize the widget, Windows 10 provides multiple ways to manage this feature to suit your preferences.