14 DAY TRIAL // The support for widgets is one of the highlights of Windows 11, and since the debut of the operating system a couple of years ago, Microsoft has been working hard on polishing the experience with this new feature.
This week, however, the company finally took the wraps off what’s likely to biggest widget-related announcement since the launch of Windows 11.
The very first third-party widget is now live on the operating system. It comes from Facebook, as the widget allows users to view their Messenger conversations and unread messages.
Still in preview, the Messenger widget is based on the Windows App SDK 1.2, and Microsoft says developers out there can turn to the same tool if they want to build their very own widgets for Windows 11.
“Ready to try out a new widget? The Messenger app now has a preview version of its widget available. To give it a try, go to the Microsoft Store and update to the latest version of Messenger. Then open the widgets board and navigate to the widgets picker by clicking the “+” button at the top-right of the board to pin your widget,” the company explains.
Needless to say, additional refinements are needed, but Microsoft says that more and more widgets are very likely to start rolling out on Windows 11 in the future.
“As you give this widget a try, please let us know what you think through the Widgets feedback link in the widgets picker. You should expect to see additional new widgets as more developers create and release widgets for their apps,” the company says.
The first build with a third-party widget is available right now in the Dev channel of Windows Insider program, but for now, there’s no ETA as to when it is supposed to start rolling out for production devices.