Information found in the regulations of the application store suggested it, it is now official: Microsoft announces the opening of Windows 11 to widgets designed by other developers.
Indeed, widgets are already present in the operating system, accessible by the key sequence Windows + W, but they come only from Microsoft.
Developers will therefore be able to design widgets for Win32 apps or for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), using Microsoft’s Adaptive Cards platform. This would, for example, make it easy to see new messages in Twitter or WhatsApp.
Microsoft had discontinued widgets in Windows 7 for security reasons, before bringing them back in Windows 11. Hopefully the vendor will put enough controls in place to prevent hackers from exploiting this opportunity again.
For the moment, Windows 11 widgets are grouped in a specific panel, but Microsoft is studying ways to place them directly on the desktop.
For example, the publisher presented a web search bar test to members of the Insider program in a beta version of the operating system.
This example is part of the general idea of small interactive tools that the user can use directly from the desktop. However, Microsoft has not indicated whether they will be available in the 22H2 version of Windows 11, scheduled for October.
Source : Engadget